Cipher case: Special court extends Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s remand by 3 days

A special court in Islamabad extended on Friday the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi for another three days in the ‘cipher’ case.

During the hearing today, Qureshi was presented before the special court. His lawyer, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, also appeared.

Qureshi was arrested on August 19 from his residence in Islamabad and taken to the FIA headquarters in the capital.

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The case is related to “misuse” of the alleged contents of a diplomatic cipher, cited by ex-premier Imran Khan as proof of an attempt to remove his government, in which Qureshi was foreign minister.

The FIR

According to the copy of the FIR, consequent upon the conclusion of the enquiry no 111/2023 upon the complaint registered in the Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW), FIA, it transpired that former prime minister namely, Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, former foreign minister namely, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and their other associates are involved in the communication of information contained in the secret classified document (Cipher Telegram received from Parep Washington dated March 7, 2022, to Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to the unauthorised persons (ie, public at large) by twisting the facts to achieve their “ulterior motives” and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.

The FIR further said that they held a clandestine meeting at Bani Gala on March 28, 2022, to conspiring to misuse the contents of the cipher in order to accomplish their “nefarious designs”. The accused, Imran Khan, mala fidely directed the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Muhammad Azam Khan, to prepare the minutes (record note) of the said clandestine meeting by manipulating the contents of the cipher message to use it for his vested interest at the cost of national safety.

It says that the said cipher telegram (official secret document classified as such) is still in the illegal possession/retention of the accused, Imran Khan. The unauthorised retention and misuse of the cypher telegram by the accused persons compromised the entire cypher security system of the state and the secret communication method of Pakistani missions abroad.