The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a restraining order, preventing the trial of Imran Khan in the cipher case from proceeding in jail.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a stay order against the jail trial of Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in the cipher case. The decision was announced during a hearing on Imran Khan's intra-court appeal against the trial in Adiala jail. The two-member bench, consisting of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, made this announcement.

This development follows the approval by the caretaker federal cabinet for the jail trial of Imran Khan and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, citing security concerns. Attorney General Mansoor Awan, presenting arguments during the hearing, stated that the federal cabinet had sanctioned Imran Khan's jail trial, with the notification to be submitted to the court.

Justice Aurangzeb emphasized that all trials should be conducted openly, especially considering the exceptional nature of a jail trial. The Attorney General clarified that it was not an extraordinary trial but simply a jail trial. The court adjourned the hearing on the intra-court appeal against the jail trial until November 16.

Imran Khan had initially filed the appeal after the IHC's single bench rejected his objection to the jail trial on October 16. The court, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, found no apparent malice in conducting the jail trial and directed Khan to approach the trial court if reservations persisted.

The cipher case, under the Official Secrets Act 1923, involves Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who are currently incarcerated in Adiala jail. The case emerged in August, with the Federal Investigation Agency invoking Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act. The case revolves around a missing diplomatic cable that allegedly contained a threat from the United States to topple the PTI government.

The controversy, known as "ciphergate," originated when Imran Khan, in March 2022, waved a letter during a public rally, claiming it was a cipher revealing a foreign conspiracy against his government. The contents of the letter were not disclosed, but Khan later accused the United States of plotting against him. The National Security Committee initially issued a demarche to the US for interference, but later, no evidence of a foreign conspiracy was found.

The case took a new turn with audio leaks involving Imran Khan, Asad Umar, and Azam Khan discussing the US cipher. The federal cabinet initiated a probe, and action against Imran Khan was approved. However, Imran challenged the FIA summons, securing a stay order from the court, which was later recalled by the Lahore High Court in July.