Imran Khan still in Attock Jail despite orders to shift him to Adiala Jail

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has not been shifted to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail despite the Islamabad High Court on Monday gave orders to shift him from the Attock district Jail in Punjab Province, reported Dawn. The Islamabad High Court had asked the Adiala Jail Superintendent to receive Imran but he was taken to Attock Jail.

According to Dawn, the main reasons behind this were security concerns and the absence of a written letter. However, one of his lawyers created confusion on social media platforms, claiming that Imran Khan had indeed been transferred to the Adiala Jail.

Barrister Naeem Panjhota, a prominent member of Khan’s legal team, claimed that he had indeed been shifted to Adiala Jail.

However, the Attock Jail administration denied the claim and said that he had not been shifted due to security reasons and that they were still “hosting” him, Dawn reported. Mr Panjhota shared on social media 'X' that he had been informed that Imran Khan had been shifted to Adiala Jail but “it is beyond understanding that Attock Jail (authorities) are also saying that they have PTI chairman”.

The IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq observed that under-trial prisoners (UTPs) of all the courts in the federal capital were kept at Adiala and hence directed to shift Mr Khan to that prison, reported Dawn. Addressing AAG Barrister Mun­a­war Iqbal Duggal, he inquired about the status of other UTPs. To which, Duggal said that all UTPs of Islamabad's courts are kept in Adiala Jail.

Justice Farooq later directed to shift Khan to Adiala Jail and asked the jail administration to provide all entitled facilities to him, Dawn reported. However, he could not be shifted as Farooq did not issue a written order due to other engagements at the Federal Judicial Academy. Both Khan and Qureshi are on judicial remand till September 26, in connection with the cypher case.

In August, the FIA booked the PTI chief and his party’s vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for vested political interests. Subsequently, both leaders were arrested in connection with the probe into the case and a special court was formed under the Official Secrets Act to try the accused.

The cypher controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan just days before his ouster in April 2022 brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be ousted from power, according to The News International report.

He did not reveal the contents of the letter and the name of the nation that had sent it. However, a few days later Imran Khan named the United States and said that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal.

PTI chairman had claimed that he was reading contents from the cypher and said that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power".