Asad Umar gets interim bail in cipher case

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Asad Umar secured a pre-arrest bail on Tuesday from the special court in Islamabad in the ongoing cipher case.

The special court was established a day earlier to hear the cases filed under the Official Secrets Act. Umar, along with PTI lawyer Babar Awan, appeared before the special court in Islamabad on Tuesday. The Special Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnan has approved interim bail till August 29 with surety bonds of Rs100,000.

In his petition, Umar maintained that the FIR was registered in collusion with the government with mala fide intent to falsely implicate and pressurise him. Rejecting the allegations, the PTI leader said he had nothing to do with the alleged offences mentioned in the police document. Requesting bail before arrest, Umar said he was ready to join the investigation whenever required.

Talking to the media, PTI’s former finance minister dismissed reports of his arrest as speculation. “I had cooperated with investigators in the case and have appeared before the court for pre-arrest bail,” he said.

A day earlier, the special court remanded Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the vice chairman of PTI, into FIA custody for four days. A case has been registered against former prime minister Imran Khan and Qureshi under sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, read with Section 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for alleged wrongful communication/use of official secret information and illegal retention of a cipher telegram. Involvement of both Asad Umar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi is suspected in the case.