IHC acquits PTI founder, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday acquitted the PTI founder and vice-president Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
The court also nullified their sentences in the case.
The two-member bench comprising of IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan announced the reserved verdict.
Cipher Case History
On January 30, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act had awarded 10-year imprisonment each to the PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
The case is related to a diplomatic document that the FIA alleges was never returned by the PTI founder when he was the prime minister. According to the PTI, the document contained a threat from America to oust the PTI founder as prime minister.
In March 2022, the PTI founder waved a letter during a PTI rally and said he had evidence that an international conspiracy was hatched to oust his government.
In August 2023, the FIA registered an FIR against the PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi under the Official Secrets Act. According to the FIR, the PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were involved twisting facts in communication contained in secret classified document to achieve their ulterior motives in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.
