Cipher Case: Attock Jail Administration Excuses To Produce Imran Khan In Islamabad HC

The Attock jail authorities has recently excused producing former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad High Court over the cipher case.

According to media, the jail administration stated that shifting Imran Khan from jail to court could cause security risks.

The Attock Jail officials requested the court to exempt the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman from a court appearance on September 25.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court scheduled the hearing for Imran Khan’s bail plea in the cypher case.

The registrar’s office issued the cause list and Imran Khan’s bail application is scheduled for hearing today. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the case.

Previously on August 5, Imran Khan was arrested after his conviction in the Toshakhana case. Earlier this week, the court issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency, seeking arguments in the case.

The special court formed under the Official Secrets Act had rejected the post-arrest bail pleas of Khan and his party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case of the missing cypher.

Both Khan and Qureshi are on judicial remand till September 26, in connection with the cypher case.

In August, the FIA booked PTI chief and his party’s vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for vested political interests.

Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the probe into the case and a special court was formed under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused.

The cypher controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan just days before his ouster in April 2022 brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be ousted from power.

He didn’t reveal the contents of the letter and the name of the nation that sent it. However, a few days later Imran Khan named the United States and stated that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu sought his removal.

PTI chairman claimed that he was reading contents from the cypher and stated that “all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power”.

The cypher case against Imran Khan became serious after his principal secretary Azam Khan in a statement before a magistrate and Federal Investigation Agency stated that the former PM used the US cypher for his “political gains” and to avoid a vote of no-confidence against him.

According to Azam Khan, Pakistan’s then-PM stated that the cable could be used for “creating a narrative against establishment and opposition.” The US cypher was used in political gatherings by the PTI chairman, despite his advice to avoid such acts.