Cipher Case: Islamabad Special Court Issues Summon to Imran Khan and SM Qureshi

Islamabad special court formed under the Official Secrets Act has issued summoned to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

They are required to appear before the court on October 4, as directed by Special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain. The judge ordered the Adiala jail superintendent to ensure their presence. Notably, statements from witnesses were deemed sufficient to warrant the summoning of the accused.

This development follows the submission of a charge sheet by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the cipher case against both leaders. The FIA, in its charge sheet, declared Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi guilty and urged the court to proceed with their trial and impose sentences.

It’s worth noting that former PTI secretary-general Asad Umar has not been included in the list of accused. Additionally, Imran Khan’s former principal secretary, Azam Khan, has been identified as a “strong witness” in the case.

The FIA has included the statements of Azam Khan, recorded under Sections 161 and 164, along with the charge sheet. Allegedly, Imran Khan retained the cipher but failed to return it. The agency has also included the transcript of Khan and Qureshi’s speech from March 27, 2022, when the former Pakistan Prime Minister displayed a letter, claiming it was a cipher from a foreign nation that sought his government’s removal from power.

The FIA has submitted a list of 28 witnesses to the court after recording their statements, which includes former foreign secretaries Asad Majeed, Sohail Mehmood, and the then additional foreign secretary Faisal Niaz Tirmizi.

In response, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the FIA’s charge sheet, deeming it “meaningless and bogus as a cipher case,” and has called for the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the matter.

Previously, the special court had extended the judicial remand of PTI chairman Imran Khan and vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi until October 10 in the cipher case.

The controversy surrounding the cipher case emerged on March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan, before his removal from office, displayed a letter during a public rally, alleging it was a cipher from a foreign nation conspiring with his political rivals to oust his government.

Afterward, audio leaks surfaced, featuring discussions among the former Pakistan PM, then-federal minister Asad Umar, and then-principal secretary Azam Khan, supposedly concerning the US cipher and its potential use to their advantage.

Following investigations, the federal cabinet formed a committee to examine the audio leaks, leading to approval for action against Imran Khan and the transfer of the case to the FIA.

Imran Khan challenged FIA’s summons but eventually had the stay order revoked by the Lahore High Court in July this year.