An important statement from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s former secretary Azam Khan regarding the Cypher case under Section 161 of the CRPC has surfaced, 24News HD TV channel reported on Tuesday.
In the statement, Azam Khan said he was posted as Secretary to the PM in August 2018 and remained on the said assignment till April 2022, when Imran Khan was the Prime Minister.
He said he was at his residence on 08.03.2022 when he received a call from the Foreign Secretary in the late evening pertaining to sending the cypher Telegram (I-0678) for the perusal of PM Imran Khan.
He said in a detailed statement, “Foreign Secretary told me to give the Cypher to the then PM Imran Khan in the morning i.e. 9. March 2022 stating that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had already discussed the matter with the PM.
Later on, PM Imran Khan further confirmed that Foreign Minister had already talk to him regarding cypher and was keen to read it.
On 09.03.2022, after reading the cypher, PM Imran Khan was euphoric and told me that this blunder of US officials could be effectively used to create a narrative against opposition parties and the state institutions for collusion.
PM Imran Khan also stated that the said cypher Telegram could be used to counter no confidence motion submitted by the opposition on a political narrative that opposition parties are conspiring with USA in collusion with establishment to dislodge his government. Thereafter. I was asked by the then PM Imran Khan to hand over the copy of said cypher to him as he wanted to read and review it further.
I accordingly handed over the copy of said cypher to Imran Khan and he retained it. When I enquired about the cypher from Imran Khan, later, he replied that he had misplaced it and would search for it. He also directed his MS and personal staff to look for it.
The then PM Imran Khan also said he wanted to angle the Cypher and would display it in front of the public in a way to convey that foreign conspiracy being hatched against him in collusion with local partners and would use victim card, to which I advised that cypher was a decoded secret document, and its contents can neither be disclosed nor be discussed in public.
I suggested that he needed to hold a formal meeting with the Foreign Minister and Foreign Secretary as they are the political and bureaucratic heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from which the cypher had been received.
The Secretary MoFA would read out the Cypher from the master copy as is available with him.
As was planned by Imran Khan, on 28.03.2022, a meeting was chaired by him as PM with Foreign Minister and Foreign Secretary in my presence at Bani Gala.
If I recall correctly that said meeting was not in the routine agenda calendar/ engagements of the then PM.
During the meeting, the then Prime Minister Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi directed Foreign Secretary to read out cypher from the MoFA's numbered master copy of cypher. The minutes of the said meeting were recorded by me.
It was decided that cypher be placed before the Federal Cabinet for discussion and decision. Consequently, on 30.03.2022, a special Cabinet Meeting was held wherein representative of MoFA read the cypher from the master copy of MoFA wherein one of the decisions was that matter be placed before the National Security Committee for further discussion / decision.
On 31.03.2022, the National Security Committee was convened wherein the representative from MoFA read the MoFA's Cypher Telegram copy available with him and briefed the participants. The minutes of the meeting were recorded by National Security Division.
In general practice, the cypher telegram received from MoFA must be returned in due course to JS (FSA) who is representative of MoFA in PM Office for onward despatch to the Cypher Bureau / Crypto Center of MoFA. However, in this particular case, the said PM's numbered copy of secret Cypher Telegram was retained by PM Imran Khan with him stating that it was missing.
In my view, PM Imran Khan planned to target the high command of Pakistan Army to pressurize them so that they may come forward to rescue him in no confidence motion which was his political gain. The un-constitutional ruling of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri regarding Cypher was also directed by the then PM.”