Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan's bail plea hearing date set by Islamabad High Court in cipher case

The Islamabad High Court has set a date for the hearing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s petition seeking post-arrest bail in the cipher case, reported local media outlets on Saturday.

According to a cause list issued by the IHC registrar for the coming week, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman’s bail petition on Monday, September 25.

Earlier this week, the court issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking arguments in the case.

The special court — established under the Official Secrets Act — had rejected the post-arrest bail pleas of Khan and his party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case of the missing cipher, reported local media outlets.

Notably, both Khan and Qureshi are on judicial remand till September 26, in connection with the cipher case.

Last month, the FIA booked the PTI chief and his party’s vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for vested political interests.

Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the investigation into the case and a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused.

The ciphergate controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan — just days before his ouster in April 2022 — brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cipher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be removed from power, according to The News International.

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