Imran’s remand in cipher case extended till Sept 13

ISLAMABAD: A special court Wednesday extended till September 13 the judicial remand of PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan in the missing cipher case.

Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain arrived at the Attock Jail to conduct the hearing. Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi represented the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), while PTI lawyer Salman Safdar appeared on behalf of Khan.

The PTI chief’s counsel later filed a post-arrest bail application, along with the request to hear the case in an open court.

Earlier, the court had also directed the superintendent of Attock jail to keep the ex-PM in the judicial lockup and present him upon completion of the remand period.

Therefore, he was not immediately released from jail, despite the IHC orders suspending the trial court conviction in the Toshakhana case.

Ahead of the hearing, sources said Khan’s five-member legal team, headed by Advocate Salman Safdar, arrived at the prison to attend the hearing.

The PTI chief’s legal team — comprising Naeem Haider Panjotha, Salman Safdar, Intizar Panjotha, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Umair Niazi — was earlier denied request for meeting Khan but was later allowed to enter the jail.

The police had earlier only permitted Safdar to enter the jail. On the other hand, Buttar questioned the former prime minister’s remand.

“We have many questions. When was the PTI chairman remanded? How was the remand made possible without telling the party chief and his lawyers?” he asked.

Meanwhile, the PTI lawyers have moved multiple bails after the court extended Khan’s judicial remand. In one petition filed with the special court, the PTI lawyers have requested to declare the jail trial notification “illegal”.

Meanwhile, in another, they have sought the former premier’s post-arrest bail after which the court issued a notice to all the parties seeking their responses on September 2, according to the sources.

Parties, including the FIA special prosecutor and PTI lawyers, have been called to present arguments in the case on the aforementioned date.