https://ift.tt/G3NM9vW The Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Counter-Terrorism Wing has filed a case against former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly misplacing a top secret diplomatic cypher. According to FIA sources, serious charges have been levelled against the former premier over the matter. The Express Tribune attempted to contact FIA spokespersons regarding the issue but they did not provide any definitive answer. However, a senior officer, on the condition of anonymity, stated that they had been instructed by “authorities” to remain silent. On July 25, the PTI chairman appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) formed on the matter and provided answers to questions posed by the officials for nearly two hours. Read more: PTI dismisses Azam Khan's 'confession' He reiterated his position, terming the cypher real and added that the details were available in the National Security Committee meetings' minutes. However, in light of the same statement, the FIA issued another notice on July 26, urging Imran Khan to present himself again before the JIT on August 1. Nonetheless, the former prime minister did not appear, opting instead to approach the court. Subsequently, he was arrested in the Toshakhana case, and is now currently imprisoned in Attock Jail. Imran’s ex-principal secretary Azam Khan was also called by FIA officials for interrogation. After over two hours, he returned from FIA headquarters in Islamabad. Cypher gate The PTI chief, who was deposed as premier in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no-confidence, had accused Washington in March last year of orchestrating a plan to oust him. He had referred to the cypher in question as evidence for his claims. Later the same year, the PTI chief shifted the blame from the United States to previous army chief General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, saying he wished to mend fences with the former. Also read: PTI chief’s ex-aide appears before NAB According to Azam Khan’s purported confessional statement, on March 8, 2022, then foreign secretary approached him and informed him of the cypher, which was sent to his residence later the same evening. Khan said that the foreign secretary told him that then-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had already discussed the cypher with the PTI chief. This was confirmed the next day when Azam Khan presented the cypher to the PTI chief, according to the alleged statement. The PTI chief allegedly told Azam that the “cypher can be used to divert [the] general public’s attention towards foreign involvement in NCM [no-confidence motion] by [the] opposition”. Azam Khan handed over the cypher to the PTI chief upon the latter’s request but when he asked for it the next day – March 10, 2022 – he was told that it had been misplaced, according to former interior minister Rana Sanaullah. In his confessional statement, Azam Khan allegedly said that the PTI chief had told him that the cypher would be displayed in front of the public and a narrative would be constructed implying that “a foreign conspiracy is being hatched in collusion with local partners”. The PTI chief allegedly confided in Azam Khan that he would play the “victim card”.
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