Imran Khan's legal team alleges 'mental torture' in Adiala Jail amid Ciphergate controversy

The attorney representing former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is subjecting him to "mental torture" while he is incarcerated in Adiala Jail, according to a report by ARY News. PTI's chief lawyer, Naeem Hairder Panjotha, has claimed that Khan is confined to a small room in a C-class jail, and even the opportunity for a walk outside the room is denied.

Furthermore, Imran Khan's counsel has expressed concerns about the quality of food provided to the former Prime Minister. Notably, the matter regarding the food quality is still awaiting a court decision.

Panjotha has also raised questions about the closed-door hearing of the cipher case and called for a transparent, open trial. He has argued that PTI chairman's conviction in the cipher case is part of a larger "effort to sideline the former PM from politics," as reported by ARY News.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rejected the charges filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and demanded the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the cipher case. In a statement issued on Saturday, the PTI spokesperson dismissed the charges against party chairman and vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi as "baseless and fabricated."

In the FIA's charges, both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were implicated in the matter, and the agency requested the court to proceed with their trial and potential sentencing in the case.

Notably, the former PTI Secretary-General, Asad Umar, has not been named among the accused, as reported by Geo News. However, Imran Khan's former principal secretary, Azam Khan, has been identified as a "key witness" in the case.

Additionally, according to Geo News, former foreign secretaries Asad Majeed, Sohail Mehmood, and the then additional foreign secretary Faisal Niaz Tirmizi have been included as witnesses in the case.

On September 26, the special court extended the judicial remand of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi until October 10 in the cipher case. In August, the FIA charged the PTI chairman and vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act, alleging that they mishandled and misused a classified document for their political interests.

Subsequently, both Khan and Qureshi were arrested as part of the investigation, and a special court was established under the Official Secrets Act to prosecute the accused, according to Geo News.

The ciphergate controversy initially surfaced on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan, shortly before his removal from office in April 2022, publicly revealed a letter, claiming it was a communication from a foreign nation. The letter reportedly stated that his government should be removed from power. However, he did not disclose the letter's contents or identify the sending nation initially. Later, he named the United States and accused Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu of advocating for his removal.

Imran Khan asserted that he was reading from the cipher and stated, "All will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power."

The cipher case against Pakistan's former Prime Minister escalated when his principal secretary, Azam Khan, stated in a statement before a magistrate and the FIA that Imran Khan had utilised the U.S. cipher for his "political gains" and to avert a vote of no-confidence against him, according to The News International report.

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