Following a proposal from the Ministry of Law and Justice, the federal cabinet approved a summary to conduct the jail trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Adiala jail.
The approval, granted via circulation, aligns with the recommendation of special court judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who ordered the trial to be held in jail considering security concerns.
Earlier this week, the special court ruled that the trial would be conducted in Adiala Jail following a security report by the prison’s superintendent. The court has made provisions for the proceedings to be open to the public, including journalists. This follows the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to nullify a previous notification for a jail trial. Judge Zulqarnain has been overseeing the trial in jail since Khan was indicted on the charges last month under the Official Secrets Act 1923.
Approval for Conducting Additional Jail Trials
In addition to the cipher case, the federal cabinet also approved the jail trial of Imran Khan in corruption cases, including the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) case and the Toshakhana case.
Due to the law and order situation, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested this arrangement. The Ministry of Law and Justice notified that the accountability court concerned would sit and conduct the trial of the accused in the Central Prison, Adiala. This measure addresses misuse of authority and illegal sale of state assets under Section 16(b) of the NAB Ordinance, 1999.
