The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday rejected former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s petition seeking post-arrest bail in the cipher case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the court order today which was reserved on October 16 after arguments were completed from both sides.
During the last hearing, Khan’s counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa, had contended that a FIR could not be registered against his client since the federal cabinet of the former prime minister declassified the cipher, according to local media reports.
He further stated that the ex-premier enjoyed immunity as provided in Article 248 of the Constitution that protects the president, governor, prime minister, federal minister, minister of state, chief minister and provincial minister for their “act done or purported to be done.”
During the hearing, another counsel for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Barrister Salman Safdar argued that Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act was not applicable in the cipher case.
He said that the section could be invoked for sharing sensitive information with foreigners, and this “main ingredient is missing” in the FIR against the PTI chief.
A special court formed under the Official Secrets Act has indicted both party leaders. They are currently incarcerated at the Adiala jail, Geo news reports.
On October 26, the IHC had also rejected Imran Khan’s pleas to stop trial in the matter.
