The Islamabad High Court acquitted the founders of PTI and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Cipher case. IHC heard appeals from the founder of PTI Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Cipher case. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, and Justice Aurangzeb heard the appeals.
The Islamabad High Court declared the trial court’s decision in the Cipher case null and void and acquitted the founders of PTI and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Before the start of the Cipher case hearing, PTI’s lawyer Salman Safdar appeared in court, while FIA prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi was absent.
The assistant lawyer said they would arrive in about 20 minutes, to which the court said we had canceled the regular division bench so that this case could be heard, so the prosecution argued that Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi is coming in 20 minutes.
The court said we are just sitting here for you and not doing anything, we have canceled the regular division bench, has Hamid Ali Shah has withdrawn his power of attorney, so the assistant attorney general said that Hamid Ali Shah has been informed that they are with the mother in the hospital.
Chief Justice Islamabad High Court said we had already told the time of 11 o’clock, so the prosecution argued that Salman Safdar should start the evidence.
Barrister Salman Safdar began presenting evidence, saying that Azam Khan did not have any documents regarding the Cipher case, to which the Chief Justice said that your client’s confession is also present regarding this.
Lawyer Salman Safdar said it is the responsibility of the prosecution to prove this, the law is clear, and there are decisions of the Supreme Court on this matter, the prosecution has to prove the case.
For the founders of PTI and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the government-appointed lawyers said in court that you have not tried a death sentence before. Provide details of these cases, so PTI’s lawyer said what kind of charge is this that Cipher has lost, gone, or given someone a code, if Cipher has gone, then how can the charge of keeping Cipher be applied?
The lawyer further said that the prosecution had requested additional documents that meant the case could not be proven, when it was informed that according to the book rules, they had not inquired, the Lahore High Court decided that ordinary negligence does not prove a criminal act.
FIA prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi reached the court, and PTI’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar requested that all charges against the accused be discharged.
Salman Safdar further said that the IP addresses from which the audio and videos come have not been traced, the court has not told any specific country with which relations have deteriorated, and when we came on bail, they said we do not have the right to bail, then we went to the appeal, it was said that the right to appeal cannot be obtained there.
Salman Safdar further said that he wanted to correct all these mistakes in the fourth attempt, to which the court said you are saying all this in vain “relations could have been spoiled”, it is not the purpose of the law, you had given someone the death sentence, keeping someone in jail for 10 years can only be based on the fact that “could have been spoiled”.
The court directed the special prosecutor to read Fiive One, this is your case, explain to Cipher what you have kept with you, tell him about the copy he kept with him, in 342, it cannot be that the answer to a question is in his favor, leave the rest.
The special prosecutor said that his purpose is to achieve political objectives, so the court said that Azam Khan was saying that the Prime Minister told me to find the military secretary, when Azam Khan said this, then forgot about keeping it.
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The court asked where it is written in the statement, Cipher’s copy was to be returned, you have a specific book that only certain people can access, there is nothing in the record that PTI was aware of its effects, it was not said in the testimony that you do not keep and do not grieve.
The court told the special prosecutor in the conversation that the crime has to be proven, don’t do it hastily, if you do it comfortably, then everything will be fine.
It should be remembered that in the Cipher case, the Islamabad High Court sentenced the founders of PTI and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years in prison.
The FIA prosecution team had succeeded in proving the charges in the Cipher case, to which the special court had said that there was solid evidence to prove the offense.
