Cipher Case: Imran Khan's Bail Plea Hearing Put Off Until Monday

Special court adjourned hearings after it was told that the court has been challenged by PTI before IHC and PTI's lawyers offered to withdraw that plea

Cipher Case: Imran Khan's Bail Plea Hearing Put Off Until Monday

Hearings of a bail petition filed by the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the cipher case were put off by the special court until Monday.

An in-camera hearing of the bail plea filed by Imran in the case was heard by Special Secret Court Judge Abulhasnat Zulqarnain on Saturday.

Senior PTI leader and lawyer Babar Awan, along with Salman Safdar and others appeared on behalf of Imran and presented their arguments in favour of securing bail for the PTI chief.

Salman Safdar urged the court to ensure that Imran is allowed to freely meet with his lawyers at Attock Jail. He complained that whenever the lawyers went to Attock Jail to meet with Imran, they had to walk for around a kilometre and a half.

He added that they have also submitted an application against holding the trial at Attock Jail.

During Saturday's hearing, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi's lawyer, Ali Bukhari, also appeared and urged the court to grant him a hearing.

However, the special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) opposed hearing arguments on the bail plea.

The prosecutor told the court that PTI's legal team has already filed pleas against the special court before the Islamabad High Court and that pleas filed before the special court should not be heard until that case is decided.

At this, Imran's lawyer, Intizar Punjotha, offered to withdraw their petitions filed in the high court.

After hearing the arguments, the judge adjourned further hearings until Monday, September 4.