Pakistan’s Supreme Court approves ex-PM Imran’s bail in cipher case

Tariq Butt, Correspondent / Reuters

The Supreme Court on Friday approved the post-arrest bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and party’s Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case. However, they are unlikely to be released because of their arrest in some other cases.

A three-member bench, headed by acting Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah, conducted the hearing.

Imran and Qureshi were directed to submit a surety bond of Rs1 million each in the cipher case related to the misuse of diplomatic cable for political purposes.

On Dec.13, the PTI founder and vice-chairman were indicted in the cipher case again by the special court established under the Official Secrets Act 2023 after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared their jail trial null and void. Both have pleaded not guilty to their involvement in the offence related to the alleged misuse of diplomatic cable for political purposes.

The top court also heard the petition against the Oct.23 indictment of Imran and Quresh. At the outset of the hearing, Justice Masood remarked that the indictment that was challenged was already nullified by the IHC on Nov.21.

As a result, Imran and Qureshi’s Oct.23 indictments in the case also stood null and void, and the trial was conducted again. Justice Masood said that the fresh indictment will not be affected by the previous proceedings that were declared invalid by the IHC. At this, the former premier’s counsel Hamid Khan argued that the trial was taking place on the previous charge sheet.

Justice Masood noted that the petition against the old charge sheet has become infructuous.

“If you have an objection to the fresh indictment then challenge it in the high court,” the judge told the lawyer. Hamid Khan requested the court to wait for the IHC’s decision against the in-camera trial in the cipher case.

Imran’s other counsel Barrister Salman Safdar said that Hamid Khan had made amendments to his petitions, requesting the court to take it as a fresh one. The court then adjourned the hearing on the plea against indictment and took up the bail petitions.

Presenting his argument against the bail petitions, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor said that notice hasn’t been issued on Qureshi’s bail plea. After this, the court issued notice to the federal government on Qureshi’s bail petition.

Justice Shah said that the Dec.13 indictment in the cipher case has not been challenged. “The FIA remained silent in the case for seven months and then arrested the PTI leader as soon as Imran was granted bail in the Toshakhana case,” the counsel told the bench.

Later during the day, ̛mran Khan filed nomination papers for the 2024 national elections, local media Geo News reported. Imran filed his papers to contest a national assembly seat in his hometown Mianwali.