SC Schedules Imran, Qureshi’s bails for Dec 22

The Supreme Court has scheduled the bail petitions filed by Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case for a hearing on December 22.

A three-member bench, led by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, will preside over the proceedings, including Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Masoor Ali Shah.

The cipher case accuses the former prime minister and ex-foreign minister of unlawfully retaining and disseminating the contents of a classified diplomatic cable sent to Pakistan by the country’s ambassador in Washington.

Facing trial under the Official Secrets Act, Khan and Qureshi have attended all hearings within the confines of Adiala Jail.

Despite the Islamabad High Court’s directive for an open trial with media and public presence, the special court, on Thursday, ruled for the trial to revert to an in-camera setting. Additionally, the court imposed a ban on all media coverage of the proceedings.

Having previously denied bail, the Islamabad High Court has instructed the special court to expedite the trial proceedings for the two leaders.