PTI founder, vice-president Shah Mahmood Qureshi handed down 10-year sentence each in cipher case
RAWALPINDI (92 News) - Official Secret Act Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain on Tuesday handed down 10-year sentence each to the PTI founder and vice-president Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
According to the short verdict, the prosecution had solid evidence and remained successful in proving the crime against the accused. The PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were present in court when the verdict was announced.
Later, a questionnaire was given to the accused to record their statements under the section 342. The PTI founder recorded his statement first. After recording the statement, the judge addressed the PTI founder, saying he was putting an easy question that where the cipher was. The PTI founder replied that he did not know about it as it was present in his office.
Before recording their statements, the accused objected to the absence of their counsels. The judge replied that they were provided the state counsels as their counsels were not appearing in court.
After the verdict, the PTI founder's petition filed in the Islamabad High Court had become ineffective. The PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi had challenged the process to appoint the state defence counsel.
On Monday, the court had appointed Malik Abdur Rehman and Hazrat Younis as state defence counsels for the PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi respectively. During the hearing held in Adiala jail, the judge issued had a warning to the PTI founder who earlier exchanged hot words with him. Shah Mahmood Qureshi snatched the file from the state defence counsel and threw it towards the wall.
The judge had expressed his indignation at absence of the defence counsels from the hearing, directing them for the third time to ensure their presence. On December 13, the court had framed charges against the PTI chairman and vice-president Shah Mahmood Qureshi. However, both pleaded not guilty in the case.
Cipher case
The FIA had registered a case against the PTI founder and then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for making the cipher, an official secret, public in a gathering. The case was registered against them under sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 r/w 34 PPC.
Both were accused of wrongful communication/ use of official secret information and illegal retention of cipher telegram (official secret document) with mala fide intention.
According to the FIR, the PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi had distorted the facts in the cipher to achieve their personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.
