Pakistani court extends judicial remand of former premier Khan for 14 days

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - A Pakistani court on Tuesday 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, his lawyer 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, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital Islamabad, 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 Islamabad to hear the case, extended Khan's remand at the prosecution's request until Oct. 10.

“Imran Khan's remand was extended till Oct. 10, which is a completely wrong decision as the prosecution failed to submit its report and the judge extended his remand instead of honorably acquitting him,” Latif Khosa, Khan's lawyer, told reporters outside the Attock Jail.

Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday was brought into a court in Islamabad in handcuffs, and his judicial remand was also extended till Oct. 10. Qureshi was also arrested in the cipher case.

On Monday, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq directed the authorities to shift Khan from Attock Jail to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi at the request of his lawyers.

Khan is accused of exposing an official secret when he waved a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally last year.

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

Pakistani authorities on Monday rearrested several women workers of Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) soon after their release from a jail in Lahore.

According to the party, five of their women workers were released by a local court on bail, however, police rearrested them.

“Absolutely shameful how lawless Pakistan has become and how Court orders are being violated continuously. Female Political prisoners in Pakistan continue to have their fundamental rights violated,” the PTI wrote on X.

Dozens of Khan's supporters and party workers are in jail. They were arrested following violent protests broke out in major cities and towns across the country over Khan’s arrest on May 9.