Pakistan's election commission-ECP has disqualified Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a close aide of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, from contesting elections for five years.
The disqualification of Qureshi comes five days before the February 8 general elections, which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is contesting despite a state crackdown.
The former foreign minister has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets.
The case was filed against Imran Khan and Qureshi on August 15, 2023 by the Federal Investigation Agency, accusing both of violating the secrecy laws while handling the cable sent by the Pakistan embassy in Washington in March 2022.
Earlier, Imran Khan has also been barred from politics for five years.