PAKISTAN's former prime minister Imran Khan's hopes for a swift release from jail were dashed as a special court on Wednesday (30) extended his judicial remand until September 13 in a case related to the alleged disclosure of state secrets. The court proceedings, overseen by judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, were held in Attock jail in the province of Punjab due to security concerns, with approval from the Law ministry.
The case revolved around a missing cipher, a classified document that Khan had brandished during a political rally before his removal from office in 2022.
Imprisoned since August 5 following his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case, Khan saw a glimmer of hope when his sentence was suspended by a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court earlier this week.
However, the cipher case's presiding judge ordered his continued detention for a hearing scheduled on Wednesday. As per Geo News, judge Zulqernain prolonged the judicial remand, ensuring the 70-year-old Khan's confinement.
Accompanied by a five-member legal team led by advocate Salman Safdar, Khan's team faced initial denial of access to the prison for the hearing but was eventually permitted to meet him.
Notably, Khan's close associate and Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was already in custody in connection with the same case. The case, initiated earlier in August, alleged Khan's involvement, along with others, in breaching the nation's secret laws.
The report also highlighted Qureshi's legal representation, but information regarding his lawyer's stance was cut off due to the word limit. It is anticipated that Qureshi would be brought to the judicial complex for the cipher case following the completion of his two-day remand. The extension of Khan's judicial remand and the continuing legal proceedings further entangle the former prime minister in a complex legal situation.
(With agency inputs)
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