Islamabad (Web Desk): A special court formed to hear cases under Special Secret Act extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's physical remand for two days in cipher case.
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, who has been given additional charge of the special court, heard the case.
Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) presented the PTI leader before the court after completion of his remand and sought extension in his physical remand for another five days.
During today’s hearing, FIA's special prosecutor Zulfiqar Navi pleaded with the court that they have to recover former minister's mobile phone.
Opposing the request, Qureshi's lawyer Babar Awan cited several verdicts of superior judiciary in the defence of the PTI vice-president.
He argued that the former minister had nothing to do with the cipher case and read out Articles 90 and 91 of the Constitution in the court.
The defence counsel maintained that Qureshi had been in remand for the last nine days. “This is enough.”
The lawyer told the judge that Qureshi’s mobile is with FIA and there’s no need for further remand.
After his counsel completed arguments, Shah Mahmood Qureshi came to the rostrum and told the judge that his mobile had been recovered by the FIA and the cipher is with the Foreign Office.
The court later announced the reserved vedict and granted two-day extention in the physical ramd of the PTI leader.
The FIA had took Qureshi into custody earlier this month in connection with the ongoing investigation into cipher which PTI alleges contained the threat from the United States (US) to oust former premier Imran Khan from power.
