ISLAMABAD: PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday moved the Islamabad High Court against his physical remand granted by a special court to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in cypher case against him and incarcerated PTI chairman Imran Khan.
In his petition, Shah Mahmood Qureshi pleaded with the high court to declare the trial court’s decisions announced on August 20, 21 and 25 as void, requesting the court to send him on judicial remand by annulling physical remand decision.
“With malicious intent and connivance of the federal government, the case has been against me. I didn’t receive the cypher telegram, neither shared its transcript with any person,” he pleaded. “The record proves that the cypher has been in possession of the foreign ministry,” he petitioned.
“The FIA arrested me and got my physical remand thrice. Prosecution failed to bring the evidence, still the trial court granted physical remand,” petitioner said. The federal government and the secretary interior have been made respondents in the petition.
On Friday, the Special Court Islamabad granted the FIA three days’ physical remand of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case. Judge Abu Al-Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case against Shah Mahmood Qureshi under Official Secrets Act 2023. The court asked the investigation officer to present Qureshi again on August 28.
Qureshi, who served as foreign minister, was arrested in the capital Islamabad last week. The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act on the complaint of the Home Secretary. Former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were nominated in the report, while names of former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar were also mentioned.
