By Ansar Abbasi in The News, August 19, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan will not be tried under Army Act 1952 in the cipher case. According to a government source, certain offences under the Official Secrets Act 1923 are though tried under Army Act of 1952, in the case of Imran Khan’s offence he will be tried in a criminal court under normal judicial system.
The FIA has recently booked Imran Khan under Official Secrets Act for mishandling the cipher issue but has not shared with the media. It is being kept secret for unexplained reasons.
Presently, FIA is in the final stages of its investigations on the matter. Some senior lawyers have also been engaged to prepare the prosecution’s case for the court. The case will be filed on behalf of the FIA, the source said, adding that it may not take much time to take up the matter before the court for trial.
The source said that certain offences under the Official Secrets Act are tried under the Army Act by military authorities. However, in the case of Imran Khan, the source assured, he will be tried in a criminal court.
About the nature of the case against the chairman PTI, the source said that apparently it will be a strong case for the prosecution as Imran Khan not only himself had admitted to have retained and then lost the cipher but also played with it publicly. Additionally, it is said that former premier’s principal secretary Azam Khan’s statement before the FIA and the magistrate also made it a serious case against Imran Khan.
Imran Khan, who after his conviction in Toshakhana case by the trial court is presently imprisoned in Attock Jail, has already been questioned twice by the FIA’s Joint Investigation Team probing the cipher issue. Khan was initially questioned before his conviction and later interrogated in Attock Jail a few days back.
It was disclosed early this week that the FIA has registered a FIR against Imran Khan in the cipher case. Later, it was reported by this newspaper that the case against Khan has been registered under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1101679-imran-won-t-be-tried-under-army-act-in-cipher-case
