The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday reserved its verdict against the bail application of former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the diplomatic cypher case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq heard Qureshi’s bail petition. During the hearing, Qureshi’s lawyer, Syed Ali Bukhari, argued that his client did not use the word “cypher” during the March 27, 2022 rally, nor did he make any specific comments about the content of the diplomatic cable. He maintained that his client only fulfiled his duty under the rules of business and acted responsibly. He argued that the allegations levelled against Qureshi carry a maximum sentence of only two years and it is a bailable offence. However, the prosecutor for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) stated that during the March 27 rally, Qureshi’s speech preceded that of the PTI chairman, Imran Khan, alleging that he incited the former prime minister.
The FIA prosecutor emphasised that Qureshi did not deny his speech or its content. He said that there has been no instance in any country where a public officeholder himself disclosed the content of a diplomatic cypher. He said that Qureshi’s speech and its content indicate that he was aware of the sensitivity of the matter and deliberately used provocative language to incite the people by using terms like national pride and honour. The prosecutor urged the court to deny the bail. Subsequently, the court reserved the verdict.
