"the judicial remand of Imran Khan and Qureshi has been extended until October 10 in a cipher case."
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will stay in custody for another 14 days as a special court, operating under the Official Secrets Act, has extended their judicial remand until October 10 in the cipher case. This extension was decided during a hearing led by Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain at the Attock jail.
During the court proceedings, PTI lawyers, including Barrister Salman Safdar, Latif Khosa, Umer Niazi, and Naeem Panjutha, were present, along with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was handcuffed and accompanied by the FIA team, appeared at the Federal Judicial Complex, where his judicial remand was extended until October 10. Last month, both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were charged under the Official Secrets Act by the FIA for allegedly mishandling classified documents to gain a political advantage. The FIR against them accused them of sharing information from a secret classified document with the unauthorized public, manipulating facts for personal and ulterior motives that posed a risk to state security.
After their arrests, a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to try Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Lawyer Latif Khosa expressed frustration over the delay in the FIA submitting the challan, which could have led to Imran Khan's bail. He also raised concerns about violations of the law and the Constitution. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a brief interaction with journalists, emphasized the importance of PTI's participation in elections, describing elections without PTI as "meaningless" and "worthless." He maintained the innocence of PTI leadership and highlighted the need for transparent elections to address current issues. Qureshi asserted that a lack of transparency in elections would result in irreversible damage to the country and erode people's faith in the democratic system.
The cipher case originates from a March 2022 controversy when Imran Khan asserted possession of a foreign nation's cipher indicating his government's potential removal from power. Subsequently, the case has seen allegations of improper use of the cipher for political gains and the release of audio recordings implicating Khan and other leaders in discussions related to the cipher. It has been under investigation and legal proceedings, with Imran Khan contesting FIA summons, ultimately resulting in his recent arrest and the extension of his judicial remand.
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