ISLAMABAD – A special court on Monday approved two-day extension in physical remand of former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
Anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge Abul Hasnat, who was given additional powers after a special court was set up under recently enacted Official Secrets Act, heard the case.
The PTI leader was also produced before the court after his three-day physical remand ended today. He was represented by PTI lawyer Babar Awan and Shoaib Shaheen while Zulfiqar Naqvi represented the prosecution.
The prosecution lawyer sought five-day extension in the remand, arguing that the investigators are yet to recover the cell phone of Qureshi.
However, Babar Awan opposed the plea and argued that his client had no links with the cipher case. He also read the Article 90 and 91 of the Official Secrets Act.
After hearing arguments, the judge reserved the verdict and later extended Qureshi’s remand for another two days.
On August 25, the special court had extended his physical remand for three days.
Last week, the PTI vice chairman was arrested in Islamabad, as authorities widened the probe in cipher missing case.
The senior leader of the PTI head earlier appeared before FIA led JIT that is probing into an alleged manipulation of cipher during the PTI government.
The arrest came after the approval of the Official Secrets Act by President Arif Alvi.
