SLAMABAD: A special court rejected on Wednesday the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) plea to extend the former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s physical remand, sending him on a 14-day judicial remand instead.

The PTI leader was presented before judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain in a case related to the alleged illegal retention and disclosure of a diplomatic cypher. Qureshi appeared in court following the expiration of his two-day physical remand. Special prosecutor Shah Khawar, FIA lawyer Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi and Qureshi's lawyers Shoaib Shaheen and Babar Awan were present in the court.

Last week, on August 28, the special court judge told the FIA that if progress was not made in the case, he will not remand the accused in its custody any more. The PTI stalwart filed a bail application in the court after his arrest, on which the court issued notices to the parties for September 2 and called for arguments.