Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s had their judicial remand in the cypher case extended by a special court created under the Official Secrets Act on Wednesday until September 26.
Since being found guilty in the Toshakhana case on August 5 for failing to properly disclose gifts he received while in government, Khan has been arrested.
He was sentenced to three years in prison and a Rs 100,000 fine by a lower court, but the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overturned that verdict, preventing him from running in the next elections. He is still imprisoned as a result of his arrest in the cypher case.
Following their booking under the Official Secrets Act, the former foreign minister and prime minister were formally detained by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the cypher case last month.
Khan was caught in the cypher case while he was serving a three-year sentence in Attock jail in the Toshakhana case last month, while Qureshi was brought into custody from his apartment in Islamabad on August 19 in the same case.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Zulqarnain was given an additional charge to hear the case. The Law Ministry had established the special court under the Official Secrets Act to conduct hearings on the cypher case.
IHC had earlier reserved judgement on Khan’s appeal challenging the Law Ministry’s announcement to hold his trial at Attock jail for security concerns.
