Pakistan investigative agency arrests former minister and lawmaker

Arrests are latest development in standoff between outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Prime Minister Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan’s top investigative agency, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has arrested former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Qureshi is a close confidant of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He was arrested on charges of disclosing official secrets and interfering with state interests.

A Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday also remanded human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and former MP Ali Wazir in three-day custody in a case of sedition.

These arrests are the latest development in a standoff between the government of outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khan, who was jailed earlier this month on bribery charges.

Qureshi was arrested Saturday night at his home in Islamabad for publishing a letter last year claiming Khan had been ousted by the United States.

Qureshi is accused of leaking the contents of the letter to unauthorized persons and twisting the facts to achieve his own ends.

Qureshi was arrested hours after a Saturday evening press conference in which he called for a level playing field for Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He said the party would challenge any possible delay in the elections, which are scheduled to be held later this year.

Khan, who is serving a three-year sentence in a maximum security prison in the eastern province of Punjab, was also arrested in the case.

There are more than 150 court cases against Khan, including several for corruption, terrorism, and incitement to violence.