On Tuesday, a special court decided to conduct the hearing of a cipher case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi within the confines of Adiala Jail due to security concerns.
The decision, announced by special court judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, comes in response to a letter from the Adiala Jail superintendent highlighting security threats. The verdict specifies that the public, media, and family members will be permitted to attend the hearing within the jail premises, scheduled to commence on December 1.
Earlier on the same day, Adiala Jail authorities declined to present Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi before the court in the cipher case, citing security apprehensions. Special court judge Abual Hasant, presiding over the case, resumed the hearing at the Judicial Complex following the nullification of the jail trial by the Islamabad High Court.
In the previous hearing, the judge had instructed authorities to bring both PTI leaders before the court. However, as the hearing began, the superintendent of Adiala Jail informed the court through a written reply that Imran Khan and Qureshi could not be produced in court due to security reasons. The superintendent revealed that additional security had been requested from the Islamabad police, who responded by highlighting serious threats to the safety of both politicians.
