ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi for five years after his conviction in the cipher case.
In a notification issued on Saturday, the commission barred him from the upcoming February 8 general elections as well as “any subsequent elections for a period of five years”.
It added that he was disqualified under Article 63(1h) of the Constitution, read with Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017.
A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister.
The verdict comes nine days before the February 8 general elections, which the PTI is contesting amid a state crackdown and without an electoral symbol.
Both Imran and Qureshi have been in jail in the run-up to the elections. While Imran’s candidature was rejected, Qureshi was cleared to run for an NA seat from Thar. But today’s conviction means that both of them have been disqualified from contesting elections for the next five years.
This is Imran’s second conviction as he was also convicted in the Toshakhana case on Aug 5, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his sentence. However, a division bench had later rejected Imran’s petition seeking the suspension of the conviction. This is the former foreign minister’s first conviction.
