Cipher case: PTI chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s remand extended

ATTOCK: A special court on Tuesday extended the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s judicial remand till October 10 in the cipher case, ARY News reported.

Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who heard the case at the Attock District Jail under the Official Secrets Act 2023, extended the judicial remand of Imran Khan in the missing cipher case, a classified state document.

During the hearing, the court directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a challan in the case soon.

Hearing of the case took place at the Attock Jail following approval by the Law Ministry amid security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry.

The PTI Chairman Imran Khan was sent to jail on August 5 following his conviction in the Toshakhana case. On August 29, the IHC had suspended his sentence.

Imran still in Attock Jail despite IHC orders

Despite directions from the Islamabad High Court, PTI Chairman Imran Khan was not shifted to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail until late on Monday, mainly due to security concerns.

However, one of his lawyers claimed that the former prime minister had indeed been transferred to the Adiala Jail, triggering confusion on social media platforms.

However, the Adiala jail administration refuted the claim, saying that Khan has not yet been shifted there.

Cipher case

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

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.

The FIR stated that the former prime minister and foreign minister distorted the facts of the diplomatic cipher. “A conspiracy was launched to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes”, it added. It further stated that former premier and top diplomat endangered the state interests.

The report claimed that former prime minister asked Azam Khan – the then principal secretary – to “manipulate the contents of cipher”. “The former premier deliberately kept the copy of diplomatic cipher, which was sent to the PM office”, it added.