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The Special Courts under the Official Secrets Act have imposed a complete ban on publishing proceedings related to the Cypher case involving the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on print, electronic, and social media.
In today’s hearing, the court issued a written order stating that no coverage of the case will be allowed on print, electronic, or social media, with directives for compliance addressed to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain, in his order, emphasized that if any violation occurs, action will be taken under the Official Secrets Act, and copies of the court order will be provided to PEMRA and PTA to prevent future infringements.
The court stated that the prosecution’s request for the surveillance of the Cypher case’s trial cameras has been accepted, and conditional filming will be allowed during the family trial of former PTI Chairman and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The written order of the court specified that a condition would be imposed, preventing members of the family from making statements about the judicial proceedings, and the trial proceedings will not be open to the public during the trial.
Cypher case-Court Hearing
Earlier, the judge of the Special Court, Abu Al-Hasanat Zulqarnain, held a hearing in Adiala Jail on the request from Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi to conduct a trial under Section 14 of the Official Secrets Act secretly.
Lawyers for Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, along with FIA’s Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi, appeared in the courtroom. Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and sisters were also present during the court proceedings.
During the hearing, FIA’s Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi argued that a camera should be present during the trial under Section 14 A, as the case falls under the Official Secrets Act, making it necessary to record the proceedings.
He stated that Section 14 A mandates a secret trial concerning the circumstances and events, and given the nature of the current case, a trial camera is essential, especially when Cypher was secret, the proceedings should be recorded on camera.
He further mentioned that the charge frame has been completed, and now, testimonies need to be recorded. It was emphasized that privacy should be maintained while recording testimonies.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s lawyer, Ali Bukhari, highlighted that they had previously challenged the notifications for trial cameras and jail proceedings in the Islamabad High Court.
He stated that the Islamabad High Court had given a notification declaring the notification void, allowing for an open trial. However, they were unaware that individual charges had been filed, and they learned about it later through the media.
The court inquired about where they were during the hearing, to which it was clarified that the charge frame was presented in public.
Barrister Taimur Malik, representing Shah Mahmood Qureshi, argued that the court cannot ignore the Islamabad High Court’s directives regardingCypher case.
The court reserved its decision on FIA’s request after the complete presentation of evidence.
Later, Judge Abu Al-Hasanat Zulqarnain approved the request for a trial camera forCypher case during the secret hearing.
The court remarked that future hearings of the Cypher case will be on camera, and family members will have access to the courtroom during the proceedings. Subsequently, the court consolidated the hearing of the Safdar case.
It is noteworthy that on December 13, new charges were filed against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Cypher case. The individual charges have been filed, and witnesses are scheduled to appear today. Special Prosecutor FIA Raja Rizwan Abbasi, speaking outside Adiala Jail, confirmed that charges had been filed, and witnesses would be presented today.
He mentioned that a request for a trial camera under Section 14 A of the Official Secrets Act had been submitted. He emphasized that this matter falls under the Official Secrets Act, and if it were not classified, the FIA would not have been involved.
He further explained that the actions of the accused had directly or indirectly benefited external forces, causing harm to the state of Pakistan. The authorized authority had given approval for including charges under Sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, along with Section 34 of Pakistan’s Penal Code, against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
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