The special court of the Official Secrets Act has issued a written order for the October 9 hearing in the cipher case, during which copies of the investigation report were provided to PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain issued a four-page written order of the hearing conducted in Adiala Jail, according to which the PTI lawyers could not bring forth any court order to suspend the hearing.
The PTI lawyers requested to present arguments as usual in the hearing of the cipher case, the order said. It added that the court ordered the suspects to receive the copies of the case as per the decision of the previous hearing.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi's lawyers filed a new application for conducting the hearing in an open court, the verdict says.
The court had ordered to present Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in court to provide them copies of the investigation report. According to the PTI lawyers, the trial should not be held in-camera, the prison court is very small.
The lawyers further said the bail application in the cipher case is pending before the Islamabad High Court.
The PTI chief refused to sign the copy of the investigation report, which was provided as per the law. The order to sign the copy is issued on the next hearing, the written verdict said.
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If the copy of the report is not signed the signatures will be considered ineffective as the report has been provided, the order said, adding that at the next hearing, criminal proceedings will be initiated strictly according to law.
The issue of the cells of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also raised before the court.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi submitted a petition seeking to annul the notification of the Law Ministry regarding the trial in Adiala Jail. The verdict says that the ministry was ordered to provide an explanation regarding the notification to hold a trial in Adiala Jail.
The copies of the investigation report will be provided to the suspects, but will depend on the decision of the Islamabad High Court. The court provided the copies to the suspects and also directed them to sign.
PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat told the court that the suspects will not sign the copies of the report.
The judge also visited Adiala Jail to solve the problems allegedly being faced by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The court ordered to demolish the wall erected in front of Imran Khan’s cell.
According to the jail superintendent, the PTI chief has been provided a place to walk, adding that he has requested for further extension of his cell despite adequate space.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be indicted in the case on October 17, said Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqernain.
