Imran Khan and To Be Indicted Today Along with Shah Mehmood

In the capital city of Islamabad, It is anticipated Imran Khan and To Be Indicted Today Along with Shah Mehmood, with the indictment proceedings scheduled shortly.

Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain had initially set a date to frame charges against both leaders from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Tuesday, but the indictment was postponed by a day.

In response to the jail trial notification, the distribution of copies of challan, and the alleged denial of media and public access to the court, the legal team representing PTI submitted multiple applications. These applications raised concerns about various aspects of the proceedings, including the handling of the trial within the confines of the jail and the limited accessibility granted to the media and the general public.

A significant development from the previous month saw an Islamabad High Court division bench, composed of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, invalidate the entire proceedings in the cipher case. The bench cited ‘loopholes’ in the conduct of in-camera proceedings and concurrently barred media coverage.

Coverage:

Following the Islamabad High Court’s decision, the special court initiated a de-novo trial, albeit with restricted media coverage. Only a handful of reporters from private television channels were permitted by jail authorities to cover the proceedings.

Barrister Salman Safdar, serving as Imran Khan’s legal counsel, took proactive measures by filing a petition with the Islamabad High Court against the indictment process a day prior. Although he informed the special court judge about the petition, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) special prosecutor argued that the proceedings could continue, as no restraining order had been issued.

In response, the judge addressed PTI’s applications and made the decision to proceed with the indictment of Mr. Khan on the scheduled day, which is today.

On the outskirts of the Adiala Jail, Mehar Bano Qureshi, the daughter of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, expressed concerns about the jail administration’s placement of a glass barrier between the detained PTI leaders and reporters. She also questioned the authenticity of the ‘so-called public’ present in the courtroom to witness the proceedings, shedding light on the ongoing challenges faced by the families of the detained leaders. Notably, she emphasized that the proceedings in the cipher case remained inaccessible to the public and the media as Imran Khan and To Be Indicted Today Along with Shah Mehmood.

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