The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi from his residence in Islamabad on Saturday and booked him under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 in a case pertaining to a diplomatic cypher.
The FIA is currently interrogating incarcerated PTI chief Imran Khan in the case related to the diplomatic cable that reportedly went missing from his custody and which he has for long presented as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to remove him as the prime minister.
The first information report (FIR) registered against Qureshi by the FIA refers to the matter and invokes Sections 5 (wrongful communication of information) and 9 (attempt to commit or abet the commission of an offence under this Secrets Act) of the Official Secrets Act read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR, a copy of which is available with 24Newshd.tv, has been registered on the complaint of Ministry of Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar.
Interim Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed Qureshi’s arrest saying that the former foreign minister had been taken into custody in an investigation pertaining to the cipher.
“He (Qureshi) is nominated in the case and will soon be presented in the court,” Bugti said in a private TV channel’s programme, adding, “We have to enforce the law and all those nominated in the cipher case will be arrested and presented in court.”
When asked whether Qureshi’s detention was linked to a press conference he held right before his arrest and where he confirmed that he had held meetings with foreign envoys in recent days, Bugti replied in the negative.
However, several PTI leaders maintain that the arrest is linked to the press conference, where Qureshi also refuted reports of rifts within the PTI and announced that the party would be moving the Supreme Court (SC) against the delay in general elections.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested again.
According to PTI’s official Twitter account, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested by a heavy contingent of police from his residence in Islamabad.
According to the party, the former foreign minister was transferred to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Headquarters.
According to details, Qureshi was arrested by FIA in the lost cipher case in which he was also nominated along with PTI chairman Imran Khan.
He was summoned by the FIA for the investigation but he could not appear before the FIA.
His arrest came a day after the news emerged of PTI’s effort led by Qureshi to apprise the foreign countries' envoys and gain their support against the recent crackdown against the party and its leadership.
Earlier in the day, Qureshi addressed a press conference in the federal capital to denounce the crackdown of police on his party and condemned the high-handedness of police for confiscating houses, businesses and properties of party leader Usman Dar in Sialkot.
He also negated any notion that there was any change in the leadership was discussed during the core committee meetings and reposed his full confidence in PTI chairman Imran Khan’s leadership.
Qureshi’s arrest comes a little over two months after his release in a case pertaining to May 9 protests, which erupted following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan in a graft case.
He was taken into custody on May 11 by the Islamabad police on multiple charges, including “inciting violent protests”.
On May 18, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the former foreign minister’s release. However, his release was delayed due to his apparent reluctance to provide an undertaking to refrain from engaging in “unruly” protests.
When Qureshi was finally set free on May 23, he was again taken into custody by Punjab police from outside Adiala Jail 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.