Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will announce its reserved verdict on the intra-court appeal filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan challenging the cipher case trial in jail.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz reserved the verdict on the plea today (Tuesday) and will announce at around 5:30pm today.
During the November 14, the high court suspended Khan’s jail trial in the cipher case.
At the outset of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja presented his arguments, saying that there is a proper procedure that needs to be followed for a jail trial.
Raja said said a judge’s permission was mandatory for a jail trial.
“The judge then informs relevant ministry via the high court or district magistrate or commissioner’s office,” he argued.
Here, Justice Aurangzeb inquired what the judge should do foremost for a jail trial. In his response, Raja said the judge had to list reasons for the same with a “clear mind”.
Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both are in Adiala jail, were indicted in the case on Oct 23. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The cipher was about former Pakistan ambassador to the US Majeed's meeting with Lu.
The former prime minister, claiming that he was reading contents from the cipher, said that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power".
Later, after his removal, then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif' cabinet gave the green signal to initiate action against the former prime minister and handed over the case to the FIA.
