The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted post-arrest bail applications to former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the high-profile cipher case.
The hearing was conducted by a three-member bench led by interim Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah. This development follows the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to declare the jail trial of both politicians null and void, leading to their re-indictment under the Official Secrets Act 2023.
Khan and Qureshi have pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the alleged misuse of diplomatic cables for political gains.
At the outset, Justice Masood acknowledged that the previous indictment challenged by Khan and Qureshi had been nullified by the IHC, making their October 23 indictments void. The fresh indictment, as clarified by Justice Masood, remains unaffected by previous proceedings.
Khan’s counsel, Hamid Khan, raised concerns about the ongoing trial based on the previous charge sheet, to which Justice Masood advised challenging any objections to the new indictment in the high court. The court adjourned the plea against the indictment, focusing on the ongoing hearing regarding the bail applications.
