The Islamabad Hight Court (IHC) has acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Cipher case.
IHC accepted the appeals of PTI founder chairman and his aide Qureshi against their sentence and announced the short verdict on Monday. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict which is considered as the major relief to the PTI. “They (Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood ) shall be released forthwith, if not incarcerated in other case,” read the decision. Both the leaders, however, would stay in jail as there is one hurdle remained for each for their release from Adiala Jail Rawalpindi. Imran’s case is about not observing Iddat – marriage without fulfilling Sharia requirement- before marrying Bushra Bibi and Qureshi is facing a case about May 9 incident.
The cipher case is about the appeals filed by PTI founder chairman Imran Khan and co-chairman Former Shah Mahmood Qureshi against 10-year each prison sentences handed to them under the Official Secrets Act. It was second conviction of Khan as he was earlier sentenced for three-years in Toshakhana case. He was later sentenced for 14-years in a separate Toshakhana case. Khan is convicted for seven years in Iddat case. The total imprionsment period makes 34 years. However, the courts have suspended conviction in both case related to Toshakhana references and on Monday he was given major relief in Cipher case.
Earlier, the IHC reserved the verdict in Cipher case, indicating that it would announce the decision on Monday. The court staff has earlier directed the people present avoid chanting slogans as the judges left the court room and went to their private chamber before announcing the verdict.
A two member bench of the IHC including Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb was hearing the appeals of the PTI leaders against conviction.
