Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested on Saturday. Since May 9, this is the third time that Qureshi has been arrested by Pakistani authorities. Qureshi serves as vice-chairman of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Qureshi from his residence in capital Islamabad on Saturday (August 19) and booked him under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, in a case pertaining to a diplomatic cypher.

Qureshi's arrest came just hours after he said while addressing a press conference that the PTI will challenge any delay in Pakistan's national elections.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi is described as a close aide to cricketer-turned-politician who himself remains arrested since earlier this month after a court convicted him in the Toshakhana case related to illegal selling of state gifts during his prime ministerial tenure.

<h2>What is Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused of?</h2>

According to the FIR, on March 7, 2022, the then-foreign secretary received a cipher dispatched from Washington. It said that a conclusion of a case registered with the FIA’s counter-terrorism department on Oct 5, 2022, transpired that former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-foreign minister Qureshi and their other associates "are involved in the communication of information contained in [the] secret classified document … to unauthorised persons (ie public at large)," Pakistan's Dawn publication reported.

The FIR registered by the FIA accused Imran, Qureshi and their associates of sharing the information contained in the cipher "by twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security."

After the events of May 9, 2023, when ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's supporters&nbsp;attacked symbols of country's powerful military while demonstrating against Khan's arrest in a graft case, multiple top leaders of Khan's Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) either left the party or switched loyalties to a different political side.&nbsp;

But Shah Mehmood Qureshi remains one among a handful of leaders who still held the fort of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khan's absence.

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Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested on Saturday. Since May 9, this is the third time that Qureshi has been arrested by Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was arrested on Saturday. Since May 9, this is the third time that Qureshi has been arrested by Pakistani authorities. Qureshi serves as vice-chairman of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Qureshi from his residence in capital Islamabad on Saturday (August 19) and booked him under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, in a case pertaining to a diplomatic cypher. Qureshi's arrest came just hours after he said while addressing a press conference that the PTI will challenge any delay in Pakistan's national elections. Shah Mehmood Qureshi is described as a close aide to cricketer-turned-politician who himself remains arrested since earlier this month after a court convicted him in the Toshakhana case related to illegal selling of state gifts during his prime ministerial tenure. What is Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused of? According to the FIR, on March 7, 2022, the then-foreign secretary received a cipher dispatched from Washington. It said that a conclusion of a case registered with the FIA’s counter-terrorism department on Oct 5, 2022, transpired that former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-foreign minister Qureshi and their other associates "are involved in the communication of information contained in [the] secret classified document … to unauthorised persons (ie public at large)," Pakistan's Dawn publication reported. The FIR registered by the FIA accused Imran, Qureshi and their associates of sharing the information contained in the cipher "by twisting the facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security." After the events of May 9, 2023, when ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's supporters attacked symbols of country's powerful military while demonstrating against Khan's arrest in a graft case, multiple top leaders of Khan's Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) either left the party or switched loyalties to a different political side. But Shah Mehmood Qureshi remains one among a handful of leaders who still held the fort of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khan's absence. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pakistan's ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested

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Pakistan's ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested