ISLAMABAD – On Tuesday, PTI founder Imran Khan and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi were found guilty in a cipher case by a special court that was constituted under the Official Secrets Act.
During the court hearing at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain gave the former foreign minister and prime minister each a ten-year prison sentence.
The two political heavyweights from the PTI filed their answers to 36 questions to the court after the judge gave them a questionnaire to record their remarks under Section 342 of the law.
The judge questioned Imran Khan about the whereabouts of the cipher, which the founder of the PTI has said included evidence of a US conspiracy to topple his government, before imposing the punishment.
In response, the former prime minister maintained that he was not in charge of the security of the prime minister's residence and that the cipher was not in his hands.
The court found the defendant guilty in the case and then handed down the jail term.
The FIA claimed in their complaint that the former prime minister had not returned the copy of the cipher, and the PTI founder had been charged with misusing state secrets and harboring a copy of it with him.
This incident occurs not long after Imran Khan challenged to the state lawyers' selection in the cipher case.
Through his attorneys, Imran Khan filed a plea with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) asking the court to declare both the action taken following the appointment of state counsels and the ruling from January 26 in the cipher matter to be void.
In contrast to the demands of law and justice, PTI leader Barrister Gohar said he personally witnessed the murder of justice at Adiala Jail, where court proceedings against Imran Khan in fictitious cases are being conducted. Judges are required to conduct fair proceedings based on the fundamental constitutional demands of hearing impartially, regardless of the nature of the allegations in any case.
According to Barrister Gohar, it is also the judges' duty to uphold the minimal requirements of fairness and openness in such delicate instances.
PTI supporters requested to Keep Calm
He said attempts were being made to divert attention from the general elections scheduled for February 8.
Barrister Ali Zafar stated that following the release of the detailed order, the verdict will be contested before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).