Former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi faced a setback as they were once again indicted in the cipher case, accused of leaking state secrets and violating Pakistan's laws. The indictment took place in a special court held in the high security Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, where the two leaders have been incarcerated. Both Khan and Qureshi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The judge read out three charges, stating that they had violated the Official Secrets Act and used the cipher for political purposes.

Khan, aged 71, argued in court that he had exposed the national and international establishment, and questioned how he could be both toppled from government and made an accused. He claimed that the charges against him were part of a conspiracy to save ex-army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and US diplomat Donald Lu. In a previous hearing, Khan had demanded that Gen Bajwa and the US embassy envoy be summoned to provide a statement about the cipher. Khan also expressed concerns about a fair trial, highlighting the alleged muzzling of the media and warned that the responsibility for an unfair trial would lie with the judge for the rest of his life.

The case stems from allegations that a diplomatic document mishandled by Khan and Qureshi violated secret laws in the country. This is the second time the duo have been indicted, with the first indictment being nullified by the Islamabad High Court on procedural grounds. The fresh indictment came after the court deemed it necessary to start the case from scratch. The charges under the Official Secrets Act could result in up to 10 years of imprisonment for the accused.