New Delhi: Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is a close aide of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested by police on Saturday night from his house under the Official Secrets Act in connection with the leakage of a confidential diplomatic cable, reported news agency PTI.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's Vice Chairman Qureshi, 67-year-old, was taken to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) headquarters soon after he demanded that a level playing field be ensured to the embattled party during the upcoming general elections.
As per the agency, the two-time foreign minister was arrested under the Official Secrets Act for his involvement in the violation of the secrecy of the official cable sent by the Pakistani embassy in the US to the foreign office when he was the foreign minister.
On Sunday, Qureshi appeared in a sessions court, which granted the FIA a day's remand of the senior leader in the cipher case. Judicial Magistrate Ehtisham Alam Khan gave the orders and directed the officials concerned in the matter to produce him before the court on Monday.
"I have not shared any such document with any unrelated person," Qureshi said while talking to the media before being sent on remand, reported PTI.
He denied compromising any secret code of Pakistan and he spoke about proving his responsibility as he has "acted responsibly". "This is a politically motivated case," he added.
Notably, former Pakistan PM Imran Khan has for long mentioned the missing cable as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to remove him as the prime minister in April last year.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered the FIR against Qureshi and invoked Sections 5 (wrongful communication of information) and 9 (attempt to commit or abet the commission of an offence under this Secrets Act) of the Official Secrets Act read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Notably, the development came only two days after PTI chief Imran Khan was named in an FIR registered by the FIA under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the case.
“Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been illegally arrested once again,” the PTI said in a social media post on X.