Special court remands Shah Mahmood Qureshi for 4 days to FIA

The first court established under the Official Secret Act on Monday remanded PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for four days in the cipher case.

The former foreign minister was produced before a special court set up to hear cases under Official Secrets Act

The hearing against Qureshi was heard in-camera by Judge Zulqarnain.

Judge Abu Al-Hasnat Zulqarnain announced the verdict reserved earlier in the day and ordered the FIA officials to present Qureshi before the court on August 25 (Friday).

The FIA had demanded Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s 13-day remand.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused should be remanded in FIA custody as it had to recover the cipher document.

Judge Hasnat expelled unauthorized people from the courtroom, prior to the start of the in-camera hearing.

“It is a matter of the Official Secrets Act, irrelevant people should leave,” the judge said.

The federal government has set up a special court in Islamabad to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act across the country.

Furthermore, this is the first and only court that will hear cases under Official Secrets Act which was recently amended by the parliament.

Qureshi was taken into custody on August 19, hours after media reports said President Arif Alvi had given the signature of approval to amendments in the Official Secrets Act.