Pakistan’s former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from his residence in Islamabad.
Qureshi was arrested on August 19 in connection with the ongoing investigation into cypher which PTI alleges contained the threat from the United States to oust Imran Khan from power, Geo News reported.
The PTI has also announced that the party leader was apprehended at his home and is being transferred to the FIA headquarters in the federal capital.
“PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been illegally arrested once again,” the social media post on the party’s account read.
The arrest occurred shortly after Qureshi held a press conference in which he denied claims of infighting among party leaders over the replacement of jailed party chief Imran Khan.
The PTI has also verified that the party leader was arrested and taken to the FIA headquarters in the federal capital.
The FIA questioned Qureshi and PTI leader Asad Umar for over two hours earlier this year in connection with the investigation into the infamous US cypher.
Qureshi has often stated that the US cypher was real, bolstering the party chief’s assertions that the US plotted his demise by supporting the opposition’s no-confidence motion in April last year.
According to Geo News, the cypher case against the former premier grew serious after his principal secretary Azam Khan testified before a magistrate and the FIA that the former PM utilised the US cypher for ‘political benefits’ and to avert a vote of no-confidence against him.
In his confession, the former bureaucrat said he was “euphoric” when he gave the cypher to the ex-premier and called the language a “US blunder.” According to Azam, the former prime minister then stated that the cable might be used to “create a narrative against the establishment and opposition.”
Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, who served as the 29th Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022, previously held the post from 2008 to 2011. He had been a member of the National Assembly from August 2018 till January 2023.
Omar Ayub Khan, Imran Khan’s party general secretary, also shared the news of Qureshi’s detention on X (previously Twitter). Ayub stated that Qureshi was apprehended after returning home from a press conference.
“Vice Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureishi sahib arrested from his house in Islamabad 25 minutes ago. He had just reached home after doing a Press Conference,” Omar said.
“Condemn this in the strongest words possible. Had hoped that the reign of lawlessness would have ended after the exit of the Fascist PDM Government, but it appears that this Caretaker Government wants to break the records of their predecessor Fascist Govt.,” he added.
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