The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday disqualified Shah Mehmood Qureshi from contesting election 2024 and subsequent elections for a period of five years, a notification said.

The electoral watchdog in its notification said that a court had convicted and sentenced Shah Mehmood Qureshi along with PTI founder Imran Khan to 10 years in prison in the cypher case.

A special court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years imprisonment in the cypher case on January 30.

Judge Abu Alhasnaat Zulqurnain announced the verdict in a hearing of the special court in Adiala Jail. The case accuses Khan and Qureshi of illegally retaining and communicating a classified diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington.