Cipher Case:  PTI Chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi indictment on Oct 17

ISLAMABAD: A special court convened under the Official Secrets Act announced on Monday its decision to indict former Prime Minister and PTI Chief Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a cipher case on October 17.

Last month, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted a challan related to the cipher case against the PTI Chairman and Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the case hearing at Adiala Jail, where proceedings took place under the Official Secrets Act of 2023. During today’s session, copies of the challan were provided to the legal representatives of the former prime minister and the former foreign minister.

Both the PTI chief and his deputy appeared before Special Court Judge Zulqarnain in the court set up within Adiala Jail, where they are currently detained.

The court is scheduled to formally indict both PTI leaders on October 17.

Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), protested against his treatment during the hearing of the cipher case in Adiala Jail on Monday, insisting that he should be treated like any other prisoner. His lawyer, Salman Safdar, made these remarks during a media briefing after attending the special court hearing.

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Safdar stated, “The chairman protested that he was provided with a room where it was difficult to live; it is also difficult to move or walk in the cell.”

He expressed concern about the PTI chief’s elevated blood pressure during the hearing, highlighting his strong objections in court.

Furthermore, Safdar urged that the trial of the case should be conducted in an open court to ensure public awareness, asserting that it was inappropriate to hold the trial within the confines of the jail.

Meanwhile, another lawyer for the PTI chief, Sher Afzal Marwat, revealed that both PTI Chief and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were presented in a facility resembling a “cage” during the hearing, expressing his dissatisfaction with this arrangement.

Marwat criticized the judge’s demeanor, alleging that Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain had adopted a confrontational style during the proceedings.