Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi indicted in cipher case

A special court formed under the Official Secrets Act once again indicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

This case involves a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claims was not returned by Imran and allegedly contained a threat from the United States to remove him as prime minister, a claim disputed by the PTI.

Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were initially charged on October 23, pleading not guilty. The trial at Adiala Jail saw progress until an Islamabad High Court division bench declared the government's notification for a jail trial "erroneous," leading to the annulment of the proceedings.

Subsequently, a fresh trial began, with the recent ruling that proceedings would continue at Adiala Jail but in an open court.

The special court, originally set to indict both on Tuesday, deferred the process to today. The hearing occurred at Adiala Jail, where both PTI leaders pleaded not guilty. The charge sheet accused them of violating the Official Secrets Act, alleging Imran displayed a secret diplomatic document at a rally and used the cipher for personal interests.

During the hearing, Imran criticized the proceedings, stating it was a staged 'drama' to protect ex-army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and US diplomat Donald Lu. He expressed fearlessness about the death penalty, claiming the cipher was written to topple his government. He argued against a fair trial due to media censorship.

The judge reminded Imran that it was a court of law, and his tone was deemed inappropriate. Qureshi highlighted the uniqueness of the cipher and questioned the non-disclosure to the chief diplomat. He called for a fair trial and asserted his innocence.

The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow (Friday).