ISLAMABAD – Former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was presented before a special court under Official Secrets Act.
After proceedings, a special court granted FIA four-day physical remand of Mr. Qureshi in the cipher case, days after he was detained under the contentious act.
Anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge Abul Hasnat heard the case; at the outset of the hearing, the prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency sought PTI leaders’ 13-day physical remand for recovery of the alleged missing cipher, however, Qureshi’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen opposed FIA’s request.
Following the arguments, judge Hasnat announced the reserved verdict and directed officials to present Qureshi before the court on August 25 (Friday).
Earlier in the day, a large contingent of federal cops was deployed outside a special courtroom. Only PTI lawyers Shoaib Shaheen, Intizar Panjotha, Gohar Ali and Ali Bukhari, and other concerned officials were allowed inside the courtroom, while the party’s junior lawyers were ordered to leave.
The recent development comes amid controversy over the approval of the Official Secrets Act by President Arif Alvi.
