- Ex-bureaucrat recorded purported confession statement under CrPC 164 before a magistrate
- Ex-PM was “euphoric” and termed cypher’s language as “US blunder,” claims Khan
ISLAMABAD: Azam Khan, principal secretary to former prime minister Imran Khan, on Wednesday made startling revelations in a purported “confessional statement”, claiming that the ex-premier had pre-planned the US cypher drama in an attempt to gain political mileage.
According to media reports, the ‘missing’ Azam Khan has “recorded” a statement, terming the US cypher a “conspiracy” used by the former premier to “manipulate for creating a narrative against establishment and opposition.
In response to the development, Imran termed Azam Khan an “honest man” and said he would not accept the statement until he heard the bureaucrat say it himself.
Azam, who has been “missing” since last month, has recorded his statement under CrPC 164 before a magistrate, the sources added, with no information on his whereabouts.
Khan, ousted via a parliamentary vote in April last year, had alleged on March 27, 2022, that Washington orchestrated a plan to remove him from office — and brandished the cypher at a public rally to back his claims. The US has time and again denied such allegations, terming them “categorically false”.
According to the reports, the former bureaucrat, in his purported confession, said when he provided the ex-premier with the cypher, he was “euphoric” and termed the language as a “US blunder”.
“The ex-premier told him [Azam] he would display the cypher in front of the public and “twist the narrative: a foreign conspiracy is being hatched in collusion with local partners and play the victim card”. The purported confession further stated that the former premier kept cypher with himself in violation of the prevailing law.
When Azam, according to the sources, told Imran Khan that the cypher was a secret document and its content could not be disclosed before the public, the then-premier suggested a formal meeting with then-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and then-foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood “where they can read the cypher from the foreign ministry’s copy (as Imran Khan’s original copy was still lost) and from minutes of the meeting further decision can be made”.
The confession mentioned that the then-premier decided to call special meetings of the cabinet and the National Security Division to discuss the cypher and note down the minutes of the meetings.
However, he mentioned that till the time he was Imran’s principal secretary, the cypher was not returned to the Prime Minister’s Office as Imran had lost the original document.
‘Cypher gate controversy’
The controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran — less than a month before his ouster — brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cypher 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 cypher 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 cypher, said that “all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power”.
Then on March 31, the National Security Committee (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 cypher.
In the two audio leaks that took the internet by storm and shocked the public after these events, the former prime minister, then-federal minister Asad Umar, and then-principle secretary Azam could allegedly be heard discussing the US cypher 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 Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Once FIA was given the task to probe the matter, it summoned Khan, Umar, and other leaders of the party, but the PTI chief challenged the summons and secured a stay order from the court.
FIA to probe ‘cypher-gate’ scandal
On the other hand, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Interior and Legal Affairs Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been tasked with investigation into the ‘cypher-gate’ scandal.
Addressing a press conference here, the SAPM said that the Lahore High Court (LHC) for the last five months, had issued a stay order to stop proceedings against Imran Khan Niazi for violating Official Secret Act by making public the ‘cypher’ at a public rally but that stay order has been vacated now and FIA has been allowed to carry out investigation.
He claimed that keeping ‘cypher’ in personal custody and making it public after being removed from the office of the Prime Minister was a crime.
“It was a violation of the Official Secret Act and the oath of the Prime Minister” said Tarrar, adding that Imran Khan Niazi’s close confidant Azam Khan declared him criminal in his statement.
He said after the statement of Azam Khan, former principal secretary to Imran Khan Nizai when he was prime minister, the narrative of “Absolutely Not” was also exposed that it was fabricated by Imran Niazi for his personal political gains.
LHC withdraws stay order against FIA call-up notice to ex-PM
Earlier on Tuesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) withdrew a stay order against the call-up notice to former prime minister Imran Khan by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in an inquiry into an audio leak relating to the cypher controversy.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi recalled the stay, allowing an appeal of the federal government challenging the stay secured by Mr Khan on Dec 6, 2022. The judge had reserved his verdict after hearing arguments of the government the other day and the verdict was announced on Tuesday.
Deputy Attorney General Asad Ali Bajwa argued in court that the FIA had launched an inquiry with lawful authority and summoned the former prime minister. He said Mr Khan had concealed facts before the court and secured a stay against the FIA notice.
“Learned counsel for the writ petitioner despite under notice is not available without any prior intimation to this court but the proxy counsel requests for an adjournment and, therefore, only learned additional and deputy attorney generals are heard,” Justice Najafi observed in his order.
The judge recalled the restraining order by allowing the application of the government.
Back in December 2022, the PTI chairman, in his writ petition, had contended that the FIA initiated the inquiry into the alleged audio leak pertaining to the diplomatic cypher, but the notice sent by FIA was silent about any criminal wrongdoing committed by the petitioner.
PTI plays down ‘cypher drama’ statement
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday reacted to former prime minister’s ex-principal secretary Azam Khan’s “what they described” as ‘cypher drama’ statement.
In a statement, the PTI spokesperson said that the unverified statement associated with Azam Khan is full of contradictions. The statement further read that Azam Khan’s disappearance case is registered and the police have failed to find him out. According to legal experts, recording a statement before the magistrate under Article 164 is unimaginable.
The PTI spokesperson said that the former prime minister has already revealed the real reasons and outcome of the forced disappearance and illegal arrests.
Furthermore, National Security Committee (NSC) has already verified the content of the US cypher, and the cabinet committee declassified and analyzed the cypher before it was tabled to NSC, the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman Senate and President urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to investigate the US cypher. Instead of false statement, the government should inform the nation and court regarding the whereabouts of Azam Khan and what are the charges against him, the PTI spokesperson said.
On the other side, the PTI chairman and former prime minister said in his reaction to Azam Khan’s statement that he will not comment on the matter until the complete information comes out. He said that it’s not known yet in what circumstances Azam Khan made these statements.
Earlier, Azam Khan, ex-principal secretary to the PTI chairman and former prime minister made startling revelations and claimed that the former PM used US cypher for his ‘political gains’ and to avert a no-confidence motion against him.
Khan, who had earlier been “missing” since last month, suddenly appeared before the scene and made startling revelations about US cypher, while recording his statement under the CrPC 164 before a magistrate.
