Cipher case: Explosive statements of witnesses will add to Imran woes

ISLAMABAD: Statements of high-profile prosecution witnesses in the cipher case make it a much graver alleged criminality against Imran Khan mainly on three counts: a) using the secret communication for his political gains; b) harming Pakistan’s relations with the US; and c) misplacing or not returning the document.

Statements of the witnesses recorded by the FIA totally disapproved Imran Khan’s view that it was a regime change conspiracy against his government. They endorsed that the PTI chairman gave his choice meanings to the cipher to use it for his political gains and to defeat the no-confidence trust against his government.

It only goes on to show how the politicisation of the cipher issue hurt Pakistan’s relations with the US and benefited some other countries, highlighting the sensitivities involved in connection with the handling of cipher.

Official documents available with The News show that in view of the seriousness of the case, a complaint in the cipher case was filed by the-then secretary interior Yousaf Naseem Khokhar while the prosecution witnesses include Azam Khan, former secretary to the ex-PM Imran Khan, former foreign secretary Sohail Mehmood, former ambassador to US Asad Majeed Khan, the-then additional secretary (America) and presently Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, the then director general, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noman Basher Bhatti, Joint Secretary PM’s Office Shoaib Sarwar, Joint Secretary PM’s Office, Haseeb Gohar, Deputy Secretary PM’s Office, Deputy Secretary Cabinet Division, Director Secret Section Political, Foreign Ministry, Deputy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and several others.

The interior secretary said he was duly authorised by the government to file a complaint with the FIA in the cipher case under Official Secrets Act 1923.

Azam Khan, the-then secretary to PM, in his statement, said that Imran Khan, upon reading the content of the cipher, found it a blunder on the part of the US official, and urged that it could be effectively used to create a narrative against the opposition parties and the state institution for collusion. According to Azam Khan, the former PM also stated that the cipher telegram could be used to counter the no-confidence motion against him.

Imran Khan, said Azam Khan, talked about making a political narrative that opposition parties were conspiring with the US in collusion with the establishment to remove his government. Azam Khan said the PM received a copy of the cipher from him and never returned it. When he was asked about it, he told his secretary that he had misplaced it and would search for it. Azam Khan said he told the prime minister that the cipher was a decoded secret document and its content could not be disclosed or discussed in public.

The-then foreign secretary Sohail Mehmood, in his statement, said that he was shocked to see Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi referring to cipher in a public meeting for their personal and political gain and without realising how seriously they had damaged the entire cipher security system of the country.

The former foreign secretary said Imran Khan waved the cipher telegram in public and twisted the fact to the benefit of foreign states. He said that later he received an internal note from additional secretary (Americas) about how the US expressed its concerns about Imran Khan’s statements in the public rally.

Later, in a cabinet meeting, he said he spoke against declassification of the cipher and highlighted the sensitivities involved. He also warned how the declassification of the cipher could damage Pakistan’s relations with the US and some other countries. He said the foreign states, which did not want Pakistan’s cordial relations with the US, had benefited from the episode.

The-then Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, in his statement, talked about his meeting with Donald Lu and the subsequent communication he sent to FO in Islamabad. He said that he simply reported what was discussed between him and Donald Lu and there was no mention of the word “threat” or “conspiracy” in his communication sent to Islamabad.

Asad Majeed said he had suggested that demarche should be issued to the US, both in Islamabad and in Washington. He also referred to the National Security Committee meetings, which discussed the cipher case, and concluded there was no foreign conspiracy for regime change in Pakistan.

The-then additional secretary (Americas), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, in his statement said that the US authorities had conveyed to him that PM Imran Khan’s handling of the cipher was not taken well by Washington.

Noman Bashir, DG, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his statement, said ciphers are secret and classified documents and their misuse benefits foreign powers and compromises the cipher security system of Pakistan.

Shoaib Sarwar, joint secretary (Foreign and Social Affairs Wing) of the PM’s Office, said that as per practice, cipher addressed to the PM arrived in his office but he had neither seen nor read the diplomatic cable. He added that the cipher was never sent back to his office.

There are many other witnesses who also gave their statements about the handling and movement of the cipher. An FO official, dealing with ciphers, said that the copy of the cipher sent to the secretary to the PM for the premier was never returned to the cipher centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.