Imran Khan to Remain in Jail as Special Pak Court Extends Judicial Remand in Cypher Case

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s judicial remand was extended on Wednesday till September 13 by a special court in a case related to the alleged disclosure of state secrets.

The decision was issued by Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who arrived at Attock jail in Punjab to conduct the hearing in the case of the missing cypher, a classified state document that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman had waved during a political rally ahead of his ouster from office last year.

The hearing of the case took place at Punjab’s Attock District Jail following approval by the Federal Law Ministry amid security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry, Geo News reported citing a source.

On Tuesday, authorities decided to hold the hearing of the case inside the Attock district jail where Khan has been kept since August 5 after his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case.

According to the Geo news, Khan’s sentence was suspended by a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, but he was not allowed to walk free, as the judge hearing the cypher case ordered to keep him in prison and produce him for hearing.

Judge Zulqernain extended judicial remand till September 13, meaning that Khan will remain in jail.

‘Manipulation of Justice’

The lawyers of the PTI chief claimed that he is being held due to a “manipulation of justice.” His legal team said that despite being granted bail and anticipating release from Attock Jail, Khan remains detained because of a previous secret arrest tied to allegations of cypher leakage.

A day earlier, one of his attorneys informed reporters that Khan was “on judicial remand” and would face a special court in Islamabad on Wednesday. “He was arrested prior to today’s court ruling. The exact date of his arrest remains unclear,” said lawyer Gohar Khan.

Another attorney, Muhammad Shoaib Shaheen, claimed “his legal team was intentionally left uninformed and kept in the dark.” This, he argued, amounts to “a manipulation of justice.”

Since his removal from office, Khan has encountered over 200 cases, being denied bail in nine cases, including three in anti-terrorism courts and six in Islamabad district courts.