File photo of PTI chief Imran Khan
A special court on Wednesday extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s judicial remand until Sept. 13 in the cipher case, ensuring he will remain in jail for the next two weeks despite securing bail in the Toshakhana case a day earlier.
Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain issued the order in a hearing at Attock Jail, where the special court established under the Official Secrets Act conducted an in-camera hearing. The PTI chief has been imprisoned at the prison after being convicted of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case on Aug. 5. A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court granted a suspension of his sentence, pending appeals, due to his “minor” imprisonment of three years.
Speaking with media after the hearing, one of Khan’s lawyers claimed the cipher case was “baseless,” as it concerned a document that had been declassified by the federal cabinet of the PTI chief while he was prime minister. He also raised concerns over Khan’s arrest in the cipher case, alleging it had been done in “secret,” with the accused not even aware it had occurred. He further maintained that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) lacked the mandate to pursue the case and vowed to contest it in court. The PTI chief’s legal team has also alleged that he is being kept in jail through a “manipulation of justice.”
The case pertains to the missing copy of a cipher that was sent by then-ambassador to the U.S. Asad Majeed Khan. Last year, during a rally, Khan had waved a piece of paper he claimed was the cipher, alleging it “proved” the U.S. had orchestrated the vote of no-confidence that led to his ouster. The U.S. has repeatedly denied this, while two separate meetings of the civil-military National Security Council have maintained the cipher—a classified document—contained “blatant interference” but did not constitute any form of conspiracy.