Pakistan ‘s ex-premier shifted to prison near capital Islamabad

Court extends judicial remand of Imran Khan for another 14 days in case accusing him of exposing state secrets

ISLAMABAD (AA) – Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was shifted to a prison near the capital Islamabad on Tuesday following a court order, officials and local media reported.

The Islamabad High Court on Monday directed the authorities to shift Khan from Attock Jail to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on the request of his lawyers.

Footage aired on local broadcaster Geo News showed a heavily guarded convoy, including a bulletproof vehicle, supposedly carrying Khan, entering Adiala Jail.

Another footage shows PTI workers gathering a few kilometers from the jail and showering rose petals on the vehicle, which appears to be carrying Khan.

Earlier in the day, a local court extended Khan’s judicial remand for another 14 days in a case accusing him of state exposing secrets, his lawyer said.

The hearing of the case, commonly known as the “cipher case” was held at a prison due to “security reasons” in the northeastern Attock district, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital Islamabad, where Khan is currently incarcerated.

The case is related to diplomatic communications between Washington and Islamabad, which Khan says was part of a US conspiracy to topple his government.

Judge Abul Hasnat, who arrived from Islamabad to hear the case, extended Khan’s remand at the prosecution’s request until Oct. 10.

“Imran Khan’s remand was extended until Oct. 10, which is a completely wrong decision as the prosecution failed to submit its report and the judge extended his remand instead of honorably acquitting him,” Latif Khosa, Khan’s lawyer, told reporters outside the Attock Jail.

Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday was brought into a court in Islamabad in handcuffs, and his judicial remand was also extended until Oct. 10. Qureshi was also arrested in the cipher case.

Khan is accused of exposing an official secret when he waved a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally last year.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who is facing a string of cases, was ousted through a no-trust vote in April 2022.

Pakistani authorities on Monday rearrested several women workers of Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) soon after their release from a jail in Lahore.

According to the party, five of their women workers were released by a local court on bail, however, the police rearrested them.

“Absolutely shameful how lawless Pakistan has become and how Court orders are being violated continuously. “Female Political prisoners in Pakistan continue to have their fundamental rights violated,” the PTI wrote on X.

Dozens of Khan’s supporters and party workers are in jail. They were arrested following violent protests broke out in major cities and towns across the country over Khan’s arrest on May 9.