Cipher Case: Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Moves SC for Bailnewsbhunt

Pakistan’s former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday moved the Supreme Court to seek post-arrest bail in the cipher case.

Qureshi, also the Vice Chairman of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party, has approached the apex court, requesting it to annul the Islamabad High Court’s decision of November 8 as the court did not properly consider the facts in the case.

Qureshi, 67, was indicted along with Khan, 71 for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by the country’s embassy in Washington in March last year. They were arrested in August.

On Monday, the petition, filed on behalf of the senior politician, stated that the Islamabad High Court did not properly assess the facts in the matter, News International reported. “A baseless and political case has been made against the petitioner,” the plea read.

Moreover, the petition said that FIR does not comply with the law. Qureshi added that the FIR filed in the case has no direct connection with him. The petition further stated that Qureshi enjoys immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution on the basis of being the foreign minister, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Earlier, Qureshi’s bail application was rejected by the high court in a hearing conducted by Justice Aamer Farooq. The petition also mentioned that the courts did not give due consideration to the core principles of bail as held by the superior courts.

It also mentioned that the court’s order failed to give due consideration to the fact that the petitioner’s role is distinguishable from that of the principal accused and that the only allegations against the petitioner as mentioned in the challan dated March 3 is that of a speech given in a political rally.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)