Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi indicted in cipher case
Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, alongside Imran Khan, has also been formally indicted in the cipher case. Khan utilized the aforementioned document to construct a narrative suggesting that his government was ousted due to a foreign conspiracy.
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FollowIn a significant development, a special court in Pakistan on Monday (October 23) formally indicted the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on charges related to the cipher case. This case revolves around allegations of Khan violating the country's secret laws. Imran Khan, aged 71, had been arrested in August after a case was filed against him for supposedly violating the Official Secrets Act.
The allegations against him pertain to the disclosure of a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by Pakistan's embassy in Washington in March of the previous year.
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Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, alongside Imran Khan, has also been formally indicted in the cipher case. Khan utilized the aforementioned document to construct a narrative suggesting that his government was ousted due to a foreign conspiracy.
The proceedings for this case took place at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, presided over by special court judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain. According to reports from Geo News, both Khan and Qureshi have entered not guilty pleas in response to the charges.
The cipher case centers around an incident from the previous year when Imran Khan alleged that the United States had orchestrated a plan to remove him from office. In a public rally, he displayed a cipher to substantiate his claims. The United States consistently refuted these allegations, categorically terming them as false.
According to Khan's then-principal secretary, Azam Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had become "euphoric" upon seeing the cipher and decided to exploit it to construct an "anti-establishment narrative."
However, this move was based on a supposed "blunder" committed by the United States. The confession statement reveals that Imran Khan retained a copy of the cipher, and when he was asked for it the following day, he claimed to have misplaced it. The PTI chief did not return the original cipher despite repeated requests.
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On September 30, 2022, the federal cabinet of Pakistan under Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the matter and established a committee to investigate the contents of the audio leaks. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) summoned Khan, Umar, and other party leaders, but Imran Khan obtained a stay order to prevent these summons from being carried out.
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