Former Pakistan PM Held in Jail Meets Colleague in High-Security Courtroom Amid Cipher Case Trial
Imran Khan meets with party colleague Shah Mehmood Qureshi in jail during cipher case hearing. Remand extended, trial to continue on October 9th. Allegations of violating Official Secrets Act.
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan met with his senior party colleague and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Adiala jail during a hearing for the cipher case, according to media reports. Khan has been held in the high-security jail since September 26th, following an order from the Islamabad High Court. The meeting between the two jailed leaders was the first and took place under unusual circumstances, with a net separating them in the courtroom.
Khan and Qureshi's remand in the cipher case has been extended until October 10th. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has filed a charge sheet against them for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act. The prosecution has requested an in-camera hearing and an early trial. An in-camera hearing was also requested for Khan's bail plea, but the Ministry of Law and Justice has issued a notification for a jail trial. The PTI party claims that the document in question contained a threat from the United States to remove Khan from his position. The trial is set to continue on October 9th.