ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court has taken a noteworthy decision by granting the request made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to withdraw the stay order that had suspended the investigation into the cypher case.
The former prime minister alleged that US envoy Donald Lu played a role in removing his government. According to the PTI chairman, Lu made threats to oust his government during a meeting with the Pakistani envoy. The federal government subsequently contested a stay order granted to the PTI chairman, which had protected him from an inquiry by the FIA into the cipher audio leak controversy.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi announced the verdict that had been reserved earlier in response to a petition filed by the federal government.
The government had requested the removal of the stay order, which had been issued on December 6, 2022, effectively halting the investigation into the cypher case.
Advocate Asad Bajwa represented the government during the court proceedings and presented arguments in favor of lifting the stay order. The government’s legal representative emphasized that the high court’s decision to suspend the investigation without providing notice or conducting a hearing was unfair.
Considering these arguments, the Lahore High Court approved the government’s petition and subsequently lifted the stay order granted to PTI Chairman Imran Khan. This decision allows the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to continue its inquiries into the cypher case without any obstruction from the stay order. With the removal of the stay order, PTI Chairman Imran Khan is now required to respond to the FIA’s summons and cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
