Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has nullified the jail trial Chairman PTI Imran Khan in the cipher case.
While the court upheld the appointment of the special court judge under the Official Secrets Act, it also ruled that the federal cabinet’s approval wouldn’t apply to past trials.
The court labeled the August 29 jail trial notification as illegal.
The decision came from a division bench led by Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Riffat. who announced the reserved verdict on Khan’s intra-court appeal against the jail trial.
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Imran’s legal counsel argued that the jail trial violated Khan’s fundamental rights and challenged the proper appointment of the special court judge.
The counsel also questioned the validity of the federal cabinet’s approval, which was given after the trial had already begun.
The IHC accepted Khan’s appeal, setting aside the jail trial, stating it didn’t align with the principles of natural justice and fair trial.
The court affirmed that the special court judge was lawfully appointed and that the federal cabinet’s approval couldn’t be applied retrospectively to the trial.
