PTI founder and Qureshi awarded 10-year jail term in cipher case
Pakistan
Verdict follows after the two set of lawyers completed cross-examination of 25 witnesses
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD (Dunya News/Web Desk) – The PTI founder and his close associate Shah Mehmood Qureshi were sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment in the cipher case, as the special court established under the Official Secrets Act announced its verdict in the keenly-observed episode.
The short verbal verdict was announced soon after recording the statements of the two accused under Section 342 during the hearing today (Tuesday), as the court held a swift hearing of the matter despite the delaying tactics used by the defence.
Earlier, questionnaires had been prepared to record their statements as the court resumed the hearing of the cipher case as they were asked to sign the documents – a legal requirement which they refused to fulfill.
However, the PTI founder did present himself to record the statement as he took more than one hour for presenting his version before the judge.
THE MISSING DOCUMENT
During the hearing, Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, the special court judge, asked the main accused to answer a simple question: Where is the cipher?
In his reply, the PTI founder said he did not know, adding that the document was in his office – which means he didn’t tell the court where the missing cipher is stored, a clear violation of the Official Secret Act while he played with the people’s sentiments for his personal political gains.
The sentencing has thus ended the saga which started with waving a paper, which wasn’t the original document, at rally in Islamabad to make his followers believe that a foreign conspiracy was in motion to remove him from office through the no-confidence motion tabled by the then opposition led by PDM.
Meanwhile, the two convicts still have two forums – the high and apex courts – to file an appeal – a process which could take at least months, if not years, to complete.
THE LAST-DITCH EFFORT
On the other hand, the PTI had moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday morning to challenge the appointment of state defence counsel for the two accused in the cipher case, requesting it to declare the special court’s Jan 26 orders null and void.
THE CROSS-EXAMINATION
Earlier on Monday, a lengthy hearing of the cipher case was held by the special court in Adiala jail during which cross-examination of 11 witnesses was completed.
During the hearing conducted by the special court judge, a total of 25 witnesses were presented before the court.
The prominent names among those cross-examined by the two sets of lawyers include former foreign secretary Sohail Mehmood, former principal secretary to the PM Azam Khan, former Interior Secretary Yusuf Naseem Khokhar, interior secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani and former ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed.
THE STATE DEFENCE COUNSEL
Earlier in the day, the cipher case proceedings were again disrupted as the two accused got angry and started shouting.
As the situation worsened, the special court judge opted for a temporary break after which the hearing started again.
Qureshi objected to the state-appointed defence counsel during cross-examination, expressing difficulty attending court in the current situation. PTI lawyer Salman Safdar noted that the Islamabad High Court had deemed the trial invalid, yet the case persisted in this court for the third time.
During the previous hearing on Saturday, the special court decided to appoint state counsel for representing the two accused, as the defence lawyers again failed to appear before the court.
The move triggered chaos in the court as the accused reacted angrily, forcing the special court judge to warn them.
It was Qureshi who first snatched the file of the case from the state defence counsel [the lawyer provided by the court to a defence party] and threw it away while also resorting to shouting. Similarly, the PTI former chairman used insulting language against the judge during the hearing held at the Adiala jail.
According to the court decision, Malik Abdul Rehman and Hazrat Younus would represent the PTI founding chairman and Qureshi respectively as the state defence counsel and cross examine the prosecution witnesses.
THE RIGHT TO DEFENCE
On Friday, Raja Rizwan Abbasi – the FIA prosecutor – had requested the special court to close the defence counsel’s right of cross-examination, saying the defence was applying delaying tactics to prolong the trial.
He said one of the witnesses had come from the UAE to attend the court proceedings, but the defence counsel did not bother to come to the court.
