Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has lodged an appeal against his conviction in the cipher case at the Islamabad High Court. Qureshi’s appeal aims to overturn the decision rendered by the Official Secrets Act special court on January 30, with a plea for his exoneration and the annulment of the verdict.
Barrister Taimur Malik and Ali Bukhari, representing Shah Mahmood Qureshi, formally submitted the appeal. Alongside the appeal, Qureshi has petitioned for the decision to be suspended and has filed a bail application, seeking release until a final verdict is reached on the appeal.
The appeal underscores Qureshi’s determination to challenge the verdict and vindicate his innocence, stressing the urgency of suspending the judgment during the appeal process and emphasizing the need for bail during this interim period.
In a separate development, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has also filed appeals against his convictions in both the cipher and Toshakhana cases by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). These appeals were lodged at the Islamabad High Court by Khan’s legal team.
Imran Khan was convicted in the cipher case on January 30 by the Official Secrets Act special court, while he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced in the Toshakhana case on January 31 by the Islamabad Accountability Court.
In his appeals, Khan seeks to nullify the sentences in both cases and urges the court to suspend his sentence, granting bail until a final decision is made on his appeals. Additionally, an appeal pertaining to the Iddat case was also submitted in the sessions court.
