"Imran seeks bail in cypher case: Legal move ahead."

 "Imran seeks bail in cypher case: Legal move ahead."

Imran Khan, PTI leader, contends that the special court overlooked significant prosecution errors and inconsistencies.

In Islamabad, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan has filed a bail application with the Islamabad High Court for the missing cypher case. This comes two days after a special court denied his previous bail request.

Imran Khan, the former prime minister, submitted the application through his lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar, asking the court to grant him bail while he is currently in Attock Jail.

In his petition, Khan asserted that the prosecution had filed a fabricated and malicious case. He argued that the special court, responsible for Official Secrets Act-related cases, had overlooked several irregularities and contradictions in the prosecution's case.

A written judgment by special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain highlighted the sensitive nature of the missing cypher case, stating that there was substantial evidence linking Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi to the case.

The court observed that there were valid reasons to believe that the accused had committed offenses under sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, based on the content of the First Information Report.

The court's order also noted that despite directives issued on September 11, the petitioners' counsel had not made corrections to a certificate's footnote. As a result, the court had no choice but to decide on the bail applications, ultimately dismissing them.

The court added that precautions would be taken during future hearings to prevent unnecessary or irrelevant individuals from being present in the courtroom to safeguard state security.

In response to the court's decision, PTI's legal team expressed disappointment and announced their intention to challenge it in the high court.

Cypher Saga:

The "cypher-gate" saga began on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan, facing a vote of no-confidence, brandished a piece of paper - supposedly a diplomatic cypher - at a public gathering in Islamabad, alleging it was proof of an "international conspiracy" against his government.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched an inquiry into the matter on July 19 of the same year, following an official investigation announced by the PML-N-led coalition government. They accused the former PM and his associates of violating the Official Secrets Act, 1923, by possessing and disclosing the classified document.

Qureshi, who had served as the country's foreign minister during the PTI's rule, was arrested by the FIA on August 19. Imran Khan was interrogated by an FIA Counter Terrorism Wing team on August 26 inside Attock Jail in connection with the case, leading to his arrest announcement on August 29.