Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been given in the custody of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for four-day physical remand in a cipher case.

A special court established on Monday in Islamabad granted the remand as this court would hear the cases filed under the Official Secrets Act.

On Saturday, the FIA arrested the former minister in connection with the cipher case and produced him before the special court today (Tuesday).

The anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge, Abual Hasnat, heard the case registered against Qureshi under the Official Secrets Act.

The FIA prosecutor sought 13-days physical remand of Qureshi, for the recovery of the alleged misplaced cipher, however, Shoaib Shaheen, counsel of Qureshi opposed the FIA's request.

After hearing the arguments, first the court reserved the verdict for some times and then ordered the FIA officials to present Qureshi before the court on August 25 (Friday).

Prior to start the in-camera proceedings, the judge ordered expelling of unauthorised persons from the courtroom.

“It is a matter of the Official Secrets Act, irrelevant people should leave,” the judge said.

A heavy contingent of Islamabad police was deployed outside the courtroom.

The PTI lawyers including Shoaib Shaheen, Intizar Panjotha, Gohar Ali and Ali Bukhari remained present inside the courtroom, while the junior lawyers of the PTI were ordered to leave.
Proceedings of the court will remain in camera in line with the law.