ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a notice disqualifying former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for a period of five years under Article 63.
The notice issued by the ECP makes Qureshi ineligible to contest the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan were sentenced to ten years in prison on January 30 in connection with the encryption case.
The cipher case revolves around a secret message sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington in 2022. PTI leaders have been accused of releasing this document.
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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has accused Imran Khan of never returning the document, which it says it does not know where it is.
The PTI leaders were detained in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail during the trial. Shah Mehmood Qureshi was allowed to contest for the National Assembly seat from Thar. However, the court’s decision means that he was barred from participating in the election.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s party sails through the upcoming general elections without its famous party symbol – the bat.
