The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has denied an intra-court appeal by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, challenging his trial in jail in the cipher case. In a division bench presided over by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat, the matter was thoroughly deliberated.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, argued that the federal government lacked the authority to issue a notification for conducting his client’s trial in prison. He maintained that the notification for the jail trial was issued by the federal government without a written request from the interior ministry.
Raja contended that, as an administrative notification, the Islamabad commissioner should have been the competent authority to issue it, not the federal government. He also emphasized that the judiciary should be free from executive interference, and the federal government should not have the power to select judges.
Justice Aurangzeb expressed concerns over the potential executive interference in the judiciary and mentioned that the matter might be considered by the IHC chief justice, who could form a new bench after addressing the registrar office’s objections.
The court, in its decision, asserted that no interim relief could be granted to Imran Khan at this time, and the admissibility of the petition would be determined later. The judgment highlighted the importance of upholding rules for all individuals.
Raja informed the bench that the trial in jail was being conducted for Imran Khan’s security, even though his client had neither requested nor consented to it.
This decision follows a previous ruling by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who had earlier stated that the jail trial was in the best interest of Imran Khan due to security concerns. However, the Chief Justice maintained that if the PTI chairman had reservations, he could approach the trial court.
The IHC’s decision signals a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against Imran Khan in the cipher case, with potential implications for his trial’s future location and security measures.
