ISLAMABAD: A Special Court (Official Secrets Act) on Wednes­day extended the judicial remand of PTI chief Imran Khan and his deputy Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case till Sept 26.

In the court order, Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain referred to the notification from the law ministry issued a day earlier, allowing the court proceeding in Attock jail.

The law ministry’s notification stated that it had no objections to proceeding of this case in the jail due to security reasons.

The judge stated: “Now proceeding of above said case due to said reasons commenced within the premises of District Jail, Attock.”

The court order further stated, “Firstly, this court asked accused Imran Khan Niazi whether he is satisfied regarding the conduct of jail officials, he [Mr Khan] showed hearty satisfaction and was feeling safe.”

The judge further noted that Mr Khan did not raise “serious objection” regarding jail facilities; he however, “requested for extension of time while meeting his wife in jail premises in isolation.”

The judge directed the superintendent jail to upgrade facilities for Mr Khan as provided in the “jail manual”. He also directed the investigation officer to submit the challan by Sept 26.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, the PTI chairman was present with his nine-member legal team, while the FIA team investigating the cipher case was also present in the jail. At the outset of the hearing, the PTI chief’s attendance was marked.

Separately, Judge Zulqarnain also conducted proceedings in Islamabad, where the police produced PTI’s vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a co-accused in the cipher case.

Talking to the media at the Federal Judicial Complex, Mr Qureshi said that he was a political prisoner, being held in solitary confinement. He claimed that unlike other inmates, he was not allowed to take walks within the jail premises.

Amjad Iqbal in Taxila also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2023