Pakistani court extends judicial remand of ex-premier in cipher case for another 14 days

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – A Pakistani court on Wednesday extended judicial remand of the country's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan for another 14 days in a case that accused him of exposing state secrets, a court record said.

The hearing of the case, commonly known as the "cipher case" was held at a prison due to "security reasons" in the northeastern Attock district, where Khan is currently incarcerated.

The case is related to diplomatic communications between Washington and Islamabad, which Khan says was part of a US conspiracy to topple his government.

Judge Abul Hasnat, who arrived from the capital Islamabad to hear the case, extended Khan's remand on the prosecution's request until Sep. 13, meaning the ex-prime minister will not be released despite the suspension of his three-year sentence in a graft case by the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters outside the jail, Khan's lawyer Salman Safdar alleged that the defense was not informed of the ex-premier's previous remand granted by the court on Aug. 15.

Khan, 70, was sentenced by a trial court in Islamabad earlier this month for concealing details and unlawfully selling state gifts he received during his nearly four-year stint as the prime minister from 2018-2022. Consequently, he was barred from holding public office for five years by the election commission.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who is facing a string of cases, was ousted through a no-trust vote in April 2022.