A special court on Thursday released a detailed verdict against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case. Both PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were awarded 10 years in jail in cipher case on Tuesday. The detailed verdict said the counsel of the former prime minister and ex-FM were ‘non-serious’ during cipher case hearing. The convicts continued playing delay tactics and changed their lawyers several times. The accused were given several chances to prove their innocence in the case, but they took the proceedings of the special court as a ‘joke’, the detailed verdict said. “PTI founder did not return cipher to the Foreign Office.” The cipher issue disturbed Pakistan’s ties with other countries and helped the state’s enemies.

Both the PTI leaders were accused of conspiracy to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes. The verdict further said the prosecution proved its case during the hearing after which PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were awarded 10 years, each, imprisonment for violating the Official Secrets Act. “PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were convicted under Section 5-3A and 5-1C.” In a short verdict on Tuesday, a special court hearing the case handed a 10-year jail term, each, to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The former prime minister and the former foreign minister were facing trial under Official Secrets Act in Adiala Jail from last year for ‘distorting’ the facts of the diplomatic cipher.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)