Four leaked audios, including PTI founder’s, mention playing with cipher: FIA

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency’s special prosecutor Hamid Ali Shah has told the Islamabad High Court in the cipher case that there were leaked audios of four people, including the PTI founder, on the internet, in which there was a mention of playing with the cipher.

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that there is such a technology available nowadays that can make your voice and mine. The court observed that the audio of the former chief justice was leaked and later it was found to be fake.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb inquired the prosecutor whether he accepts everything that comes on the internet as correct, and if ten years’ imprisonment sentences have been awarded on the basis of audios leaked on the internet.

CJ Aamer Farooq and Justice Aurangzeb heard the appeals against the convictions of PTI founder Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

FIA Special Prosecutor Hamid Ali Shah submitted that the leaked audios of four people, including the PTI founder, were available on the internet. He said they were heard about playing with the cipher in these leaked audios.

Justice Aurangzeb inquired as to who posted the leaked audio on the internet. The court also questioned the prosecutor whether he took everything which he saw on the internet as true.

The judge observed that he does not believe in such audios as there is false information on the internet until it is verified.

The prosecutor said that these audios were uploaded on September 28, 2022, by a verified account of a person named Azhar. Justice Aurangzeb inquired whether it was checked how this person Azhar managed to bug the audio of the Prime Minister’s Office, and in case it was bugged, if he would dare produce such an audio in the court.

The court observed that Azhar bugged the conversation of the PM with the foreign minister from the house of the prime minister and uploaded it on the internet.

It further observed that the FIA wanted to exonerate Azhar for such an act but it relied upon his act while maintaining what he said was absolutely right. The court observed that the FIA should get to the root of the matter which reached a prime minister.

The chief justice said that former chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa’s judgment held that that no audio recording can be made. The prosecutor said that the prosecution was not only relying on such evidence but there were other evidences.

He said a PTV’ cameraman had given a statement that he had recorded the speech of the PTI founder during the March 27 rally and had given the recording to the FIA through a CD. He said the CD contains the speech and its transcript. He said the cameraman deposed that he saw the PTI founder waving the paper.

Justice Aurangzeb asked sarcastically whether the cameraman was the star witness of the prosecution. The CJ asked how the cameraman could say this as he could only say that the recording was made by him.

Justice Aurangzeb remarked that the FIA is now relying on the statement of the cameraman instead of that of Azam Khan. The court inquired whether the prosecutor’s legs were trembling that Azam Khan’s statement would not be accepted and if the prosecutor relying on the statement of the cameraman thinking that Azam Khan’s statement was lost.

FIA Prosecutor Hamid Ali Shah said the transcript of the Foreign Office spokesperson’s briefing on the cipher is also available. He said the prosecution’s next witness was Foreign Office director Iqra Ashraf.

Justice Aurangzeb said that Iqra Ashraf deposed in her statement that this was not her final statement. The court observed that the girl showed honesty that the FIA took a statement from her in haste.

The court inquired the prosecutor whether Iqra Ashraf’s inconclusive statement could be relied on as an incomplete document had been obtained to achieve the goal.

The prosecutor replied that inconclusive statement does not mean that the statement was made in haste, but that something more could be added.

Justice Aurangzeb observed that he cannot rely on a non-conclusive statement, and asked him if he could.

The prosecutor said that he was not relying only on this evidence and there were other evidences too. He said that he would try to conclude the arguments in the next hearing, after which the hearing was adjourned till Thursday.