The Islamabad High Court Tuesday ruled that the next hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s bail plea in the cipher case will take place in an open court. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued a two-page written order in response to the prosecution’s request for in-camera proceedings. The Federal Investigation Agency had initially sought closed-door hearings, citing the presence of “privileged” and “sensitive” documents and information. The court has, consequently, instructed the FIA prosecutors to submit a separate petition for in-camera proceedings during the upcoming hearing. The order further said that the special prosecutor for the agency had contended that when the bail application before the trial court was argued, the public was isolated, however, the official conceded that the petitioner argued its case in open court. However, the order mentioned that the PTI counsel said he had no objection if unnecessary people were barred from the courtroom. The FIA prosecutors, in their request, also mentioned that the hearing of the case in the special trial court was also held in-camera and unauthorised people were asked to leave the courtroom.
