Ex-principal secretary makes startling statement in cipher case in court

Former principal secretary Azam Khan has stunningly changed his statement about former premier Imran Khan in the cipher case saying that his statement under 161 and 164 was not made on oath and he does not know which page was waved by the PTI founder in the public rally, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.  

According to the details, former principal secretary and PTI leader Azam Khan, who was presented as a witness by the FIA in the cipher case, gave an alarming statement in the court, which is being termed a major development.

Azam Khan told the court that he did not know what page was waved in the rally, his statement under sections 161 and 164 was also not made on oath, while the statement of 161 before the investigating officer was made without oath and the statement of 164 was also made without oath before the magistrate. The oath was recorded.

He, however, owned the signatures on the statements of 161 and 164. He said that he did not know about the paper that was waved at the rally, the paper was not read and opened by the PTI founder.

Azam Khan told the court that he did not know what that paper was. He said when the copy of the cipher was given to Imran Khan, he became excited. Cipher contained details of our ambassador's meeting with the US government, he said.

He told the court that the PTI founder said that the American authorities had blundered through the cipher message and sent the message to the internal elements through it. Imran said that the cipher could be used to expose the then Army chief and opposition parties who wanted to change the elected government, he further told the court.

Azam Khan said in the statement that the PTI founder said that the cipher clearly mentioned the no-confidence movement against his government. He (Imran ) considered it an interference in the internal affairs of the country and kept it with him for further reading. Then after a few days when he (Azam) asked him, the PTI founder said that the cipher had been lost.

He stated in the court that the PTI founder directed the military secretary, ADC and personal staff to find the cipher. The PTI founder said that he wanted to take the public into confidence, how could there be a conspiracy against his government.

Azam Khan said that he had told the PTI founder that the cipher was a decoded document that could not be broken down into specific words.

He said that on his suggestion, a meeting was held in Bani Gala under the chairmanship of then prime minister Imran Khan, in which then foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, foreign secretary and he participated, in which the cipher master copy was read.

Azam Khan said: "As far as I can remember, the issue of cipher was decided to be placed before the federal cabinet in the last week of March, after which the cabinet decided to place the matter before the National Security Committee."

He stated that 'in the National Security Committee meeting, it was decided to give a letter of protest to the concerned country for interfering in the internal affairs of Pakistan. The cipher copy was not returned till I was the Principal Secretary, the PTI founder several times directed the military secretary and other staff to find the copy and they were doing it.”

Reporter Hashir Warraich