ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (NNI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan, on Wednesday, approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to challenge his indictment in a case related to classified information, as charged by a special court formed under the Official Secrets Act.
Earlier this week, Imran Khan and his deputy, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, were indicted in a case concerning the handling of diplomatic cables. The charges included alleged violations of the Official Secrets Act by mishandling and misplacing sensitive diplomatic communications involving Pakistan’s envoy to Washington and a US diplomat during Khan’s government tenure last year.
The special court judge, Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, read out the charges, accusing Imran Khan of “illegally retaining and improperly communicating” the classified information.
“The information/cipher in question pertained to top-secret matters concerning the relations between the United States and Pakistan,” stated the charge-sheet. It further alleged that Imran Khan used the classified information in a “restricted location (jalsa)” and intentionally conveyed this sensitive data to the participants, in a manner contrary to the “interests of the State of Pakistan.”
In a legal petition filed today by his lawyers, Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousaf, the incarcerated former Prime Minister implored the IHC to nullify his indictment due to procedural irregularities. Complainant Yousuf Naseem Khokhar and the state have been named as parties in the petition.
The petition asserted that the charges were framed prematurely, as they came seven days after the distribution of the challan copies, and the trial court failed to meet the required legal standards in this regard. It further contended that the special court had rushed the indictment and was seeking to expedite the trial proceedings.
The petitioner pointed out that the IHC had not issued any directive for the special court to conduct daily proceedings and conclude the trial expeditiously. “Rushing through the trial process could jeopardize fundamental constitutional rights,” the petition stated.
The petition emphasized that the trial could not proceed without the primary evidence (the classified information) and requested the IHC to annul the decision made by the special court on October 23.
Both Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi are currently in judicial remand at Adiala jail, facing charges related to the mishandling of classified information.
In August, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested the PTI leader and the party’s vice-chairman under the Official Secrets Act for alleged misuse and misplacement of classified documents for political gains.
Imran Khan was taken into custody after receiving a three-year prison sentence in the Toshakhana case on August 5, 2023. Initially incarcerated at Attock jail, he was later transferred to Adiala jail.
It is important to note that despite the suspension of his sentence in the Toshakhana case by the IHC on August 29, Imran Khan remains in detention due to his arrest in the classified information case. NNI
