PTI founder, Qureshi acquitted in cipher case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi in cipher case, ARY News reported.

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on the pleas challenging the conviction in the cipher case.

In January this year, PTI founder and party’s vice-chairman were sentenced to 10 years each in prison in cipher case.

However, the two are not expected to be released from prison due to Imran’s sentences in the Toshakhana and Iddat cases while Qureshi has been arrested in recent May 9 cases.

Cipher case

On January 30, a special court hearing cipher case 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.

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

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

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 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.

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.

More details to follow…