The law ministry on Wednesday issued notification for the jail trial of the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana and Al-Qadir Trust cases. On Tuesday, a special court hearing the cipher case against the former prime minister and former foreign minister ordered an ‘open jail trial’ of the cipher case citing security concerns pointed out by the Adiala Jail superintendent. The notification issued by the law ministry stated that the investigation in the Toshakhana case and trial of the Al-Qadir Trust case against the PTI chairman will be held in Adiala Jail. On Tuesday, Adiala Jail authorities refused to present former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi before the court in cipher case, citing security concerns.

Special court judge Abual Hasant resumed the hearing at the Judicial Complex after the jail trial was nullified by the Islamabad High Court. During the last hearing of the case, the special court judge had ordered the authorities to present both the PTI leaders before the court. However, as the hearing began, Adiala Jail’s superintendent told the court in a written reply that PTI chief Imran Khan and Qureshi could not be produced in court. The superintendent said that additional security had been requested from the Islamabad police who had replied that there were serious threats to both the politicians.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)