ISLAMABAD: Former foreign minister and central leader Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on Saturday, moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to declare orders pertaining to his physical remand “null and void.”

The PTI vice-chairman, arrested in the cypher case registered under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, filed a petition against three orders of physical remand passed by the trial court on August 20, 21, and 25.

“The Official Secrets Act court’s order to give physical remand should be declared null and void,” said the petition, adding an order for a judicial remand should be passed. It further stated that a “malicious case” was filed against Qureshi with the “connivance of the federal government” for “political vendetta.”

Qureshi further added that an investigation was conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

“I neither took the cypher telegram nor disclosed its transcript to any unauthorized person. Records prove that the cypher is with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he stated.

The PTI stalwart maintained that despite all these facts, the FIA arrested and successfully obtained physical remand.

“The trial court granted physical remand, despite the prosecution failing to produce any evidence. Even in the FIR, the cypher is alleged to be in the possession of someone else,” he pleaded. The Federation and the home secretary have been made parties in the petition submitted.

Qureshi also stated that he had conveyed the message to the then prime minister as per the law while performing his duties as foreign minister.

Last week, the FIA arrested Qureshi from his residence in the federal capital.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023