Pakistan arrests opposition leader accused of exposing official secrets, harming national interest

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s best investigation company has arrested an opposition leader, who’s an in depth aide of convicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan, for exposing official secrets and techniques and harming state pursuits, in keeping with case paperwork published Sunday.

It’s the newest construction in a standoff between the management of outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his predecessor Khan, who was once jailed previous this month on graft fees.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a two-time international minister, was once arrested Saturday night time at his Islamabad house via the Federal Investigation Agency on fees of exposing a letter ultimate yr to say that Khan was once ousted from energy via the U.S.

The letter has no longer been made public however was once it sounds as if diplomatic correspondence between a Pakistani ambassador to Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

Cricketing hero Khan was once booted out of parliament in April 2022 in a no-confidence vote. He insists his removing was once engineered via Washington, Sharif’s executive and the army. All 3 deny the allegation.

Case paperwork about Qureshi’s arrest mentioned he, Khan and others are concerned within the conversation of information in a secret categorized letter to unauthorized other folks via “twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains.”

The paperwork allege they conspired to misuse the contents of the letter to perform their “nefarious designs.”

Qureshi was once arrested hours after he held a press convention Saturday night time hard a degree enjoying box for Khan’s celebration, alleging that 1000’s of supporters are at the back of bars. He mentioned the celebration will problem any possible delay to elections, because of be held later this yr.

Khan, who is serving a three-year term in a prime safety jail in jap Punjab province, has additionally been arrested within the case, identified in the neighborhood as Cypher. Qureshi is status in for Khan as leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf celebration, or PTI.

Sharif accused Khan of exposing an official secret report in an incident ultimate yr when he waved a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s director normal, Mohsin Hassan Butt, showed Sunday that Khan and Qureshi are each booked below Pakistan’s Official Secrets Act. He gave no additional information.

Qureshi seemed in an Islamabad court docket on Sunday. His attorney, Shah Fahad, mentioned the court docket gave the investigation company 14 days to query the opposition leader. He will likely be in police custody right through this era.

Khan has more than 150 legal cases in opposition to him, together with a number of on fees of corruption, “terrorism” and inciting other folks to violence over protests in May that noticed his fans assault executive and armed forces belongings around the nation.

Authorities have moved to rein within the outspoken baby-kisser’s supporters and allies since May, detaining 1000’s of Khan’s fans for his or her alleged involvement within the turmoil.