FIA books PTI’s Qureshi under Official Secrets Act, arrests him in cipher-related case

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi from his residence in Islamabad on Saturday and booked him under the Offical Secrets Act, 1923 in a case pertaining to a diplomatic cypher.

The FIA is currently interrogating incarcerated PTI chief Imran Khan in the case related to the diplomatic cable that reportedly went missing from his custody and which he has for long presented as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to remove him as the prime minister.

The first information report (FIR) registered against Qureshi by the FIA refers to the matter and invokes 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.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, has been registered on the complaint of Ministry of Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar.

Interim Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed Qureshi’s arrest on Geo News show Naya Pakistan a while after his party reported it, saying that the former foreign minister had been taken into custody in an investigation pertaining to the cipher.

“He (Qureshi) is nominated in the case and will soon be presented in the court,” Bugti said, adding, “We have to enforce the law and all those nominated in the cipher case will be arrested and presented in court.”

When asked whether Qureshi’s detention was linked to a press conference he held right before his arrest and where he confirmed that he had held meetings with foreign envoys in recent days, Bugti replied in the negative.

However, several PTI leaders maintain that the arrest is linked to the press conference, where Qureshi also refuted reports of rifts within the PTI and announced that the party would be moving the Supreme Court (SC) against the delay in general elections.

Earlier, the PTI posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the party’s vice chairman “has been illegally arrested once again”. The statement said Qureshi was taken into custody “by a large contingent of police” from his residence in the federal capital, adding that he was being taken to the FIA headquarters.

Qureshi’s press conference

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad alongside other PTI leaders earlier today, Qureshi confirmed that he had a breakfast meeting with the Australian high commissioner in Islamabad, adding that other important ambassadors were present on the occasion as well.

He said the PTI presented its stance on the current political situation during the meeting and raised its concerns about the security situation.

“We had a good conversation, which was presented in the media as if it centred on Imran’s release,” he said, refuting reports of the PTI chief’s release of the matter of the diplomatic cipher being discussed in the meeting.

The PTI leaders also dismissed media reports of a further split within what’s left of the party’s top leadership.

A Geo News report claimed that following the PTI chief’s August 5 arrest in the Toshakhana case, the party’s core committee saw another split as well as infighting, with both Vice Chairman Qureshi and PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub allegedly attempting to succeed Imran as the party chief.

Qureshi addressed the claim and remarked that “a media house had attempted to spread confusion.”

Lauding the party’s core committee and legal team for the conditions and difficult circumstances they were operating in, Qureshi said: “Such news [of further rifts] is concocted, a plan of disinformation and part of a scheme to create confusion in the party rank and file and to affect their minds.

“There is no truth to this and it will break down in due time.”

Qureshi said the claim being made about him and Ayub trying to take over the party had “no truth to it”. He said Ayub had immediately responded to the allegation with a post on X, and “negated that confusion with great understanding”.

He also ridiculed any notion of a leadership struggle within the party, saying that Imran was still the chairman and the core committee had passed a resolution affirming the same.

Qureshi also addressed the matter of delay in general elections, adding that the party would move the SC and was in the process of finalising its petition.

He also called on other political parties such as the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and PPP to present a clear stance on the issue.

Earlier today, the PTI had shared Ayub’s rejoinder to the “fabricated news” regarding its alleged internal divisions.

Ayub said there were no groups in the party or its core committee.

“Decision-making is being done with consensus and very smoothly as per the framework made by Imran Khan himself,” he added, further saying that he held Qureshi in high regard and there had not been any argument during any committee meeting.

Separately, PTI leader Advocate Sher Afzal Khan Marwat claimed there were “traitors” present in the party’s core committee and Imran’s legal team, adding that they had put his own life in danger.

“They have passed on recordings of the core committee meetings to the opponents and even to media persons […] If I am allowed by the relevant persons in the party and if I survive the hunt, I will share the names of the traitors very soon,” he said in a post on X that he later deleted.

“I have been advised by the party leadership to delete the post and leave the matter of the compromised people to the PTI chairman for decision. I will delete the relevant post. Nonetheless, I had not named any individual and have thus no vicarious liability about speculations,” he said in a subsequent post.

Earlier, taking notice of his initial post, the PTI had said his claims would be fully investigated and that Marwat should have expressed his views within the party instead of taking to social media.

Condemnations

PTI Secretary General Ayub condemned Qureshi’s arrest, saying: “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 government.”

PTI leader Farrukh Habib claimed Qureshi was arrested for “expressing the party’s position in a press conference and for attending a tea of foreign ambassadors recently”.

Without naming anyone, he added: “They want to … silence all voices by any means. The protection of personal freedom given in the Constitution of Pakistan has been abolished, the Constitution has been suspended.”

In his condemnation, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance minister Taimur Jhagra questioned: “ Is it a coincidence that Qureshi was arrested after a press conference of the right sort, that presented his party’s stance? Is it a coincidence that just earlier today, rumours had been deliberately circulated that there were differences between Qureshi and Ayub? … Is it that despite every attempt, PTI has not broken and continues to stand firmly behind Imran Khan?“

Saying that Qureshi had been “available and collaborating with the judicial system and investigation agencies in all cases”, Jhagra demanded the PTI vice chairman’s immediate release.

“The law should not be made a joke,” he said.

PTI’s Zulfi Bukhari also maintained that Qureshi was “arrested for doing a press conference and re-affirming the PTI’s stance against all tyranny and pre-poll rigging that is going on currently in Pakistan”.

However, he later said while speaking to Reuters that the specific reason for the detention was not immediately clear.

Qureshi’s arrest over May 9

Qureshi’s arrest today comes a little over two months after his release in a case pertaining to May 9 protests, which erupted following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan in a graft case.

He was taken into custody on May 11 by the Islamabad police on multiple charges, including “inciting violent protests”.

On May 18, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the former foreign minister’s release. However, his release was delayed due to his apparent reluctance to provide an undertaking to refrain from engaging in “unruly” protests.

When Qureshi was finally set free on May 23, he was again taken into custody by Punjab police from outside Adiala Jail after his detention orders were issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner.

He was eventually released on June 6 after Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench ordered his immediate release and set aside his detention orders.

Additional input from Reuters