The Special Official Secrets Act Court gave a reserved verdict on the bail pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case. The court rejected the bail plea of Chairman PTI and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
In the Special Court of Official Secrets Act, a hearing was held on the bail applications of Chairman PTI Imran Khan and leader PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in which the lawyers of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi gave arguments. Lawyer Chairman PTI Salman Safdar wrote written arguments.
Salman Safdar said that no one in history has been subjected to political revenge as much as the Chairman PTI was made. The Chairman PTI is a patriotic Pakistani. More than 180 cases were registered against, more than 140 cases were registered before the arrest of Chairman PTI.
Barrister Salman Safdar said that this case does not belong to an individual, the entire cabinet will have to be prosecuted, the arrest of Chairman PTI was made under the bailable provisions, the crime is that of secretly giving secrets to an enemy country. Giving and taking interests, on March 7, 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a cipher. It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s staff to see where that document went? It becomes the accountability of the staff.
Lawyer Imran Khan Salman Safdar said that if this was a crime, why would this cipher be kept in front of the meeting of the National Security Committee? In the National Security Committee meeting, it is decided that there will be a protest from the concerned country, the text of the Cipher document has never been given in any public place, we have never said that the text of the document should be made public.
The lawyer said that Atta Tarar knew that PTI chairman had been arrested, the cipher was declassified from the cabinet. By saying this, Chairman PTI’s lawyer Salman Safdar completed the arguments.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan said that if the cipher was stolen, how come the second cabinet meeting was held on it? Babar Awan said that I want to show something in the head, on which the judge smiled and said, “Do you want to show the cipher?”
Babar Awan showed the video conversation of former army chief Qamar Bajwa to the court through mobile phone and said that in the video it was said that it was paper and not cipher. Said it was a slip, where is Azam Khan? When Azam is not here, this case is a case for further investigation. By saying this, Babar Awan also completed his arguments.
The judge said that the document went from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister, it is being heard that the document was lost, where did that document go? Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s lawyer Shoaib Shaheen said that the document is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the responsibility of the document is the Principal Secretary.
During the hearing, FIA prosecutors made arguments, requesting an in-camera hearing before arguments. The court declared the remaining hearing on the bail application in-camera. On the order of Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, unrelated persons, lawyers and journalists were thrown out of the courtroom.
Later, the Official Secrets Act Court reserved its decision on the pleas of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case, which was just pronounced, the court rejected the bail plea of Chairman PTI and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
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**Interview with legal analyst, Fatima Khan, on the recent bail ruling for Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi**
**Host:** Good evening, and welcome back to our news segment. Today, we’ll be discussing the recent developments in the case of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his legal battles. Joining us is legal analyst Fatima Khan. Thank you for being here, Fatima.
**Fatima Khan:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** So, Fatima, a Special Official Secrets Act Court has rejected the bail pleas of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Can you Outline the implications of this ruling?
**Fatima Khan:** Certainly. The rejection of their bail pleas means that both Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi will remain in custody while the case progresses. This is significant as it’s not just a legal battle but a political one, reflecting the overarching tensions in Pakistan’s political landscape.
**Host:** What are the main arguments presented by their lawyers in court?
**Fatima Khan:** Salman Safdar, the lawyer for Imran Khan, argued that the case against him is politically motivated, highlighting the sheer number of cases filed against him—over 180. He emphasized that if this case centers around the alleged leaking of a cipher, the responsibility should lie with the entire cabinet rather than just Khan and Qureshi, as it’s a systemic issue rather than an individual crime.
**Host:** That’s an interesting point. He also mentioned something about the National Security Committee. Could you elaborate on that?
**Fatima Khan:** Yes, Safdar pointed out that the cipher in question was discussed in a National Security Committee meeting, implying that the information could not have been an act of treason or secretive as it was already part of a public discourse among top officials. He argued that if this document was indeed sensitive, why was it kept in front of the committee?
**Host:** This raises concerns about the nature of evidence against them. What are the broader implications this ruling might have on Pakistan’s political landscape?
**Fatima Khan:** The ruling reinforces the narrative of increasing political repression in Pakistan. It sends a message about how dissent is handled in the country. If this situation continues, we might see a further polarization in the political arena, where figures like Khan become symbols of resistance or victimhood in the eyes of their supporters, potentially igniting stronger public backlash against the current government.
**Host:** Thank you, Fatima, for your insights. This case certainly provides a lot to think about regarding democracy and governance in Pakistan. We appreciate you joining us today.
**Fatima Khan:** Thank you for having me; it’s a pleasure to discuss these important matters.
**Host:** That’s it for today. Stay tuned as we continue to follow this developing story.