An accountability court has approved a two-day physical remand for Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in the Toshakhana case. Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir issued the directives during a hearing held at Adiala Jail.
Officials from the accountability watchdog had initially requested a seven-day physical remand for the former prime minister.
However, the AC judge rejected the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request, ultimately approving a two-day physical remand for Imran Khan.
In a parallel development, a special court on the same day accepted the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for an in-camera trial involving former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood in the cipher case.
The cipher trial recommenced at Adiala Jail after both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood were indicted for the second time on Thursday, according to reporters who were permitted to attend the hearing.
The cipher case revolves around a diplomatic document that the FIA’s charge sheet alleges was not returned by Imran Khan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has consistently maintained that the document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran from the position of Prime Minister.
Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were initially indicted in the case on October 23, and both have pleaded not guilty.
The developments in both the Toshakhana case and the cipher trial add further legal intricacies to the political landscape. As the two-day physical remand unfolds, the scrutiny on Imran Khan’s role in the Toshakhana case intensifies, while the in-camera trial of the cipher case promises to bring to light further details surrounding the alleged diplomatic document.
The coming days are likely to witness increased legal proceedings and public attention on these high-profile cases.
