- Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been arrested in Islamabad.
- FIA arrested Qureshi in the missing cypher case.
- A case was registered against him under the Official Secret Act.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been arrested, BOL News reported.
Qureshi was arrested by a heavy contingent of police from his residence in Islamabad. He has been transferred to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) headquarters. He has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into diplomatic cypher which has gone missing from the possession of the PTI chief.
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has confirmed that Qureshi has been arrested in the cypher case by the FIA. He said all accused named in the cypher case will be arrested.
It has been revealed an FIR was registered against Qureshi in the case on August 15 regarding the missing classified document. The case was registered against Qureshi under Section 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 which was promulgated into law earlier today after being signed by the president.
A case has been registered against Qureshi on the complaint of Interior Ministry Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar. The FIR registered against Qureshi and other accused was filed after approval of the relevant authorities.
The complaint was registered by the Counter-Terrorism Wing of the FIA. The complaint said that Imran Khan, foreign minister Qureshi and their associates are involved in communication of information in secret classified documents by “twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a matter prejudicial to the interests of state security.”
The FIR said that conspiracy was hatched in secret meeting in Banigala, the residence of the PTI chief in Islamabad, on March 28, 2022 misuse the contents of the cypher to accomplish their nefarious designs at the cost of national safety.
It said the copy of the cypher sent to PM Office was deliberately kept in the custody of the former prime minister with “malafide intention” and never returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It said the document is still in ill possession of accused Imran Khan.
Qureshi’s arrest comes over two months after his release in a case pertaining to May 9 protests Qureshi was first taken into custody on May 11 by the Islamabad police on multiple charges including inciting violent protests after the arrest of the PTI Chairman.
On May 18, the Islamabad High Court had ordered his release. However, the PTI leader’s release was delayed due to his apparent reluctance to provide an undertaking to refrain from engaging in political activities.
Qureshi was finally released on May 23 but was again taken into custody by Punjab police from outside Adiala Jail. He was held under the Maintenance of Public Order after his detention orders were issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner.
He was eventually released on June 6 after Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench ordered his immediate release and set aside his detention orders.
