IHC rejects a plea to halt the trial in the Cipher case

The court gives notice on the plea for a stay order for December 20

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court denied a motion on Thursday to immediately halt trial court proceedings in a cipher case, which was submitted by the former chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

A hearing was held by IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb regarding the plea against the jail trial in the cipher case. The former PTI Chaimran’s attorney asked the court to halt the cipher case trial until the next hearing date during the proceedings, but the request was denied.

Judge Aurangzeb declared that he would await the report. He stated that although a judge could decide to hold an accused person’s trial in jail, the court should remain open.

In response to the plea for a stay order, the court set a date for December 20.  The trial court had scheduled the filing of charges against the defendant in the cipher case for December 4.

The trial of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will begin today (Thrusday) in a special court created under the Official Secrets Act.

Judge Abul Hasnaat Zulqarnain of the special court will hear the case of the missing cipher in Adiala Jail.

Read More: Imran and Qureshi are indicted in the Cipher Case

Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the former PTI chairman were charged by the court one day earlier. The trial is scheduled to commence today. The witnesses’ statements will be documented.

The court had been asked to allow the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct the cipher case proceedings in camera. Notices had been sent to Qureshi’s attorneys and the former chairman of the PTI for today (Thursday).