According to Express News, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved its ruling in the diplomatic cipher case while hearing the bail motion of former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The bail application for Qureshi was considered by IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq. Syed Ali Bukhari, Qureshi’s attorney, contended during the court that his client did not use the word “cypher” or make any particular statements concerning the content of the diplomatic cable during the demonstration on March 27, 2022.
He contended that his client just fulfiled his duties under the rules of business and acted appropriately. He claimed that Qureshi should be released on bail because the maximum penalty for the charges against him is only two years.
The FIA prosecutor, however, said that Qureshi incited the former prime minister because his speech at the March 27 rally came before that of PTI chairman Imran Khan.
The prosecutor for the FIA stressed the fact that Qureshi did not dispute the validity of his remarks. He said that there has never been a case of a public official in any country revealing the contents of a diplomatic cipher on their own.
According to him, Qureshi’s speech and its content show that he was aware of the gravity of the situation and purposefully used incendiary language to stir up the populace by appealing to their sense of national pride and honor.
The prosecution strongly requested that bail be denied. After that, the judge put off making a decision.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted its charge sheet in the cypher case on September 30 to the special court formed to hear the case at Adiala Jail, where Imran Khan is currently being held. The FIA alleges that the former prime minister violated the Official Secrets Act by unlawfully possessing a diplomatic cypher.
During Imran Khan’s rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, the CIA claimed that Shah Mahmood Qureshi helped facilitate Khan’s speech.
At the event, Khan had waved a sheet of paper, claiming it was a diplomatic cipher proving the existence of a “international conspiracy” to overthrow his administration.
