Aleema Khan, the sister of Imran Khan, has raised concerns over the perceived lack of justice in the ongoing trial related to the cipher case, expressing fears that it could result in the former prime minister’s execution. Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail, she emphasized the importance of media presence for a fair trial and criticized the media ban surrounding the proceedings within the jail.
Addressing the unusual circumstances of the trial, Aleema revealed that the courtroom had been partitioned into cubicles, leaving her puzzled about the reasons behind such measures. She also disclosed that the courthouse was sealed, and her entire family faced surveillance and threats of arrest when leaving their residence.
Aleema asserted that there might be an ulterior motive behind the media blackout, expressing her dismay by stating, “It appears we are not in our country; we are rather in another country.” She went on to allege that Husain Haqqani was hired by the former army chief, General (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa, to lobby against Imran Khan, with the involvement of US official Donald Lu and a substantial amount paid for lobbying efforts.
The concerns raised by Aleema come in the context of a special court accepting the Federal Investigation Agency’s plea for an in-camera trial of Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case. The trial was restarted at Adiala Jail after both were indicted for the second time.
The cipher case revolves around a diplomatic document that the FIA alleges was never returned by Imran Khan, with the PTI contending that it contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran as prime minister.
These apprehensions coincide with the ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding a presidential reference against the “judicial murder” of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Bhutto’s controversial execution in 1979, following a military coup and a trial, has been later acknowledged by the judges involved as a “judicial murder” conducted under pressure.
