Shah Mehmood Qureshi disqualified for five years by the ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a notification disqualifying the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi for a period of five years under article 63.

The notification issued by the ECP renders Qureshi ineligible to contest the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan were sentenced to ten years in prison in relation to the cipher case on January 30.

Read more: Cipher Case: IHC not to hear case today

The cipher case centers around a secret message sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington in 2022. The PTI leaders were accused of making this document public.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) charged Imran Khan with never returning the document, who claims he does not know its whereabouts.

The PTI leaders were detained in the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi throughout the court proceedings. Shah Mehmood Qureshi was allowed to run for a national assembly seat from Thar. However, the court’s ruling means he has been disqualified from contesting elections.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s party is navigating the upcoming general election without its famed party symbol – the bat.