Acquittal of Imran & Qureshi in Cypher Case Challenged in SC

Islamabad: The interior ministry on Thursday challenged the acquittal of PTI founder Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case before the Supreme Court.

The ministry, in its appeal, adopted the stance that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) did not have the authority to hear the duo’s appeals in the case, adding that “overwhelming evidence” of the prosecution was ignored.

The cipher case originated from Imran's public display of a paper during a rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, claiming it as evidence of an "international conspiracy" before a vote of no-confidence led to his government's ouster.

On January 30, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act awarded Imran and Qureshi 10 years’ imprisonment in the case. Later, both the leaders appealed against the verdict in the IHC.

On June 3, the IHC acquitted both the leaders, suspending their 10-year sentence.

“It is an established principle of law that where the legislature has not provided something in the language of the law, the court cannot travel beyond its jurisdiction and read something to the law as the same would be ultra vires the powers available to the court under the Constitution and would constitute an order without jurisdiction,” the appeal noted.

It stated that Imran and Qureshi were non-cooperative during the cipher trial, adding that it was proven from the record that both the accused had filed 65 different pleas during the trial.

“The conduct of the respondents was non-cooperative throughout the trial and they made every possible effort to delay the proceedings. – The Express Tribune

Courtesy The Express Tribune

Acquittal of Imran & Qureshi in Cypher Case Challenged in SC

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