Pakistani court orders public trial in jail for incarcerated former Prime Minister Khan

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - A court in Pakistan on Tuesday ordered a public trial in prison of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges of “revealing official secrets.”

The order from a special court judge came after authorities failed to physically produce Khan before the court, citing “security threats.”

After reviewing a report by Adiala jail authorities, Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain ruled that the trial will be held in jail but his family members and media will be allowed to attend the hearings.

Previously, the judge had ordered the government to present Khan in the court after Islamabad High Court last week declared his trial in jail as "illegal."

"(Adiala) jail authorities submitted a report before the court and said they couldn't present Imran Khan because of serious threats to his life," Naeem Haider Panjutha, Khan's lawyer said on X.

Panjutha rejected the court's decision to hold Khan's trial in jail in an open court setting and demanded that the former prime minister should be presented at the judicial complex.

"We are not ready to accept this trial (in jail premises) and trial should be held in open court in Judicial Complex Islamabad," he said.

Khan was arrested in August and trial in many cases against him has been conducted inside jail.

Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were indicted in the “cipher case” last month. The two have pleaded not guilty.

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

Khan, who served as prime minister of Pakistan from 2018-2022, lost a vote of confidence in parliament in April 2022, one year short of completing his term.