Imran Khan questioned for two hours in US cipher case

Ex-prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was questioned for around two hours by a Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) joint investigation team in a case involving the diplomatic cable — a cipher that the former ruling party claimed contains details of a threat made by the United States against the previous government.

Imran, during a public gathering on March 27, 2022, in Islamabad, waved a letter claiming that it was evidence of an “international conspiracy” backed by the US to topple his government.

Last week, the investigation agency summoned the deposed prime minister — who was removed from office via a no-confidence motion in April last year — today (Tuesday) after the Lahore High Court (LHC) withdrew a stay order against the call-up notice to Imran by the FIA into the audio leak involving the US diplomatic cable.

The FIA launched investigations against the ex-prime minister for allegedly making public a confidential diplomatic cable and keeping it in his possession.

As per details, the PTI chief appeared before the joint investigation team of the federal probe authorities at its headquarters. After nearly a two-hour-long interrogation, the deposed premier left the FIA headquarters.

A day earlier, the FIA interrogated PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi for nearly two hours in connection with its ongoing probe into the controversial US cipher.

Qureshi appeared before an eight-member team headed by FIA Islamabad Zone Director Rana Abdul Jabbar after it had summoned him — as he is one of the central characters in the cipher saga due to his position as the foreign minister during PTI's tenure.

Officers from different FIA wings and one grade-19 officer each from three different intelligence institutions were also present during the PTI vice chairman's interrogation.

The cipher drama took a new turn last week when former premier's then-principal secretary Azam Khan "recorded" a statement, terming the US cipher a "conspiracy" used by the ex-PM to "manipulate for creating a narrative against establishment and opposition.

Azam, who had been "missing" since last month, recorded his statement under CrPC 164 before a magistrate, sources said.

In response to the development, Imran termed Azam an "honest man" and said he would not accept the statement until he heard the bureaucrat say it himself.

The PTI, however, termed the statement attributed to the ex-principal secretary, on the US cipher conspiracy “unverified”, and said it was a “set of contradictions”.

Cablegate

The controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran — just days before his ouster — brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cipher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be removed from power.

He did not reveal the contents of the letter nor mention the name of the nation that had sent it. But a few days later, he named the United States and said that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal.

The cipher was about former Pakistan ambassador to the US Asad Majeed's meeting with Lu.

The former prime minister, claiming that he was reading contents from the cipher, said that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran is removed from power".

Then on March 31, the NSC took up the matter and decided to issue a "strong demarche" to the country for its "blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan".

Later, after his removal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the NSC, which came to the conclusion that it had found no evidence of a foreign conspiracy in the cipher.

Months later, two audio leaks took the internet by storm and shocked the public after these events. The former prime minister, then-federal minister Asad Umar, and Azam could allegedly be heard discussing the US cipher and how to use it in their interest.

On September 30, the federal cabinet took notice of the matter and constituted a committee to probe the contents of the audio leaks.

In October, the cabinet gave the green signal to initiate action against the former prime minister and handed over the case to the FIA.

Once the FIA was given the task to probe the matter, it summoned Imran, Umar, and other leaders of the party, but the PTI chief challenged the summons and secured a stay order from the court.

On July 18, the Lahore High Court recalled the stay order against the call-up notice to Imran by the FIA.

The FIA then again issued summons to Imran, Umar, and Qureshi.