The special court established under the Official Secrets Act awarded on Tuesday former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years imprisonment in the high-profile cipher case.
The court, presided by Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain, announced the verdict during the hearing held within the premises of Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
Before sentencing Imran, the judge asked the former premier one last time where the cipher was. “I have mentioned in my statement that the Prime Minister House’s security was not my responsibility. I don’t have the cipher,” he stated.
The judge also provided the two PTI leaders with copies of the statement and the questionnaire under Section 342 and both accused were asked to record their replies in the questionnaire. After Imran and Qureshi recorded their statements under Section 342, the court announced its verdict.
The piece of paper waved during the PTI rally was not the actual cypher but a paraphrased copy of it, former prime minister Imran Khan was reported to have said in his statement submitted in the cypher case.
“The plan was to give Bajwa – retired army chief – the message that the entire plan will be exposed if the government is conspired against,” Imran maintained. He said the former army chief “repeatedly lied” about wanting the PTI government to not be ousted. Imran said that the responsibility of protecting the cypher was not his. “One of my ADCs stole the cypher on Bajwa’s directives,” he said, adding that he was never in possession of the actual cypher.
In his statement submitted in court, the former prime minister said that the cypher was in the Prime Minister’s Office. “The responsibility for the PMO’s security rested with the military secretary, principal secretary and secretary protocol during my three-and-a-half years,” he said.
Reacting to the verdict, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the “reality of the bogus cases” could not be denied even if Imran and Qureshi were sentenced to death.
Expressing hope in the party’s future course of action, he said they would move the high court against the sentence and the court will deliver a “free and fair” judgment following today’s “abrupt” verdict.
Gohar urged PTI supporters to remain calm and peaceful, adding that the party is hopeful of relief from the Supreme Court and the high court. “You do not have to be violent, don’t even throw a pebble, all the powers are being used to divert our attention from the February 8 elections, but stay focused on the polls and the power of our votes will do justice for Imran and Qureshi,” said the PTI chairman.
He also urged supporters not to fall for any “pre-planned” act like that on May 9.
Replying to a journalist’s question regarding Imran’s reaction to the decision, Gohar said that the PTI founder was neither frustrated nor angry as he knew the case and its trial was a “fixed match”.
PTI counsel Hamid Khan claimed that during the proceedings in the court, the party lawyers were taken to a small room where “weapons were pointed at them”.
He added that this is the worst example of justice being denied in history. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, reacting to the verdict by the special court, said such “sham trials have their future written in dustbin”.
The party referred to the verdict as a “complete disgusting mockery of law” and vowed that “revenge” will be taken by the people through their vote on February 8.
Senior PTI lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa stated that the “fake cipher case” will not last long, adding that the nation must not lose hope and everyone must cast a vote on February 8. “Imran Khan will be out soon, the best revenge for cruelty is to vote,” Khosa tweeted. He added that the nation holds the power to free Imran from prison and take him directly to the Prime Minister’s House.
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