by Qaiser Sherazi in The Express Tribune, Oct 23, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi pleaded ‘not guilty’ on Monday as the two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were indicted in the cypher case.
The indictment came as the court rejected another one of Imran’s plea seeking deferment in the process.
Judge Abul Hasnaat Zulqarnaian of the special court – formed to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act – has summoned witnesses in the case for October 27.
The cypher case pertains to a document waved by Imran, then the prime minister, at a public rally in March last year, terming it an evidence of a foreign conspiracy behind the no-confidence motion he faced at that time. The motion was carried a few weeks later and Imran’s government ended.
Last week, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted a list of 28 witnesses in the cypher case against the PTI chairman and vice chairman, according to a copy of the indictment.
The special court deferred the indictment of the two leaders until October 23. FIA Prosecutor Shah Khawar informed the court that copies of the indictment papers, or challan, had been handed over to the accused.
Earlier in October, the IHC clubbed Imran’s other petitions, seeking dismissal of the case and stopping his trial by the special court, established under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
On Saturday, the PTI chairman filed another plea in the IHC seeking exemption under the Article 248. In the petition, it was stated that the Section 5 of the OSA did not apply to the cypher case.
The court had issued a notice to the FIA and sought its response by Monday (today). The court also clubbed the petition with Imran’s other pleas against the case.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2442547/imran-qureshi-indicted-in-cypher-case
