PTI founder, Qureshi handed 10-year jail term in cipher case

RAWALPINDI: A special court hearing cipher case on Tuesday handed a 10-year jail term, each, to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, ARY News reported. 

The former prime minister and the former foreign minister were facing trial in cipher case in Adiala Jail from last year for ‘distorting’ the facts of the diplomatic cipher.

Both the PTI leaders were accused of conspiracy to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes.

Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain announced the verdict in cipher case soon after recording the statements of the two accused under Section 342 during the hearing today (Tuesday).

The court in its verdict said the prosecution had enough evidence to prove the charges against the former prime minister and ex-foreign minister.

On Friday, Raja Rizwan Abbasi – the FIA prosecutor – had requested the special court established under the Official Secrets Act to close the defence counsel’s right of cross-examination, saying the defence was applying to delay tactics to prolong the trial.

PTI to challenge verdict

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to challenge cipher case verdict in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

We will challenge the punishment awarded to PTI founder and ex-foreign minister after receiving a detailed verdict in the cipher case, Barrister Ali Zafar said while exclusively talking to ARY News after the special court announced its verdict.

Zafar criticized the verdict and termed the sentence to PTI leaders ‘mockery’ of justice. Jail trial in the cipher case was against Article 10-A, he claimed.

Read more: IHC stays cipher trial till January 11

Cipher case

The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act. It was registered on the complaint of the Home Secretary.

Former prime minister 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.

According to the report, action also will be taken against Azam Khan and Asad Umar after the authorities reached the conclusion that they were also involved in misusing the classified documents.