Cypher Case: Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan Seeks Testimony from Ex-Army General & US Envoy

On December 4, Advocate Babar Awan, the lawyer representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), disclosed that Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, aims to summon an “ex-army general and a US envoy” during the proceedings of the cypher case at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Advocate Babar Awan revealed that Imran Khan expressed this intention while detained during the ongoing case. He quoted Imran Khan, saying, “The US embassy representative should be called, and the name of a former general was also mentioned.”

While Awan did not explicitly identify the retired military officer, attendees of the cipher case hearing suggested that Imran was referring to retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The cypher case centers around a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency claims were not returned by Imran Khan.

PTI argues that the document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran as prime minister.

Imran Khan and Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were both incarcerated and initially charged with the crime on October 23.

They pleaded not guilty, but complications during the trial at Adiala Jail led to a fresh trial after an Islamabad High Court division bench declared the government’s notification for a jail trial as “erroneous.”

Despite the ruling that the trial would resume at Adiala Jail in an open court, media access was restricted during the latest hearing, raising concerns about transparency.

During the proceedings, Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi requested the special court to summon President Arif Alvi to testify about his assent to changes in the Official Secrets Act.

The court decided to indict Imran and Qureshi again on December 12.

In a post-hearing media talk, Advocate Babar Awan asserted PTI’s readiness for elections, stating, “The PTI will contest from every seat, and our candidates will contest from every seat.”

He stressed the importance of closing what he termed “fictitious cases and trials,” claiming that the people of Pakistan view it as the way forward.

Advocate Babar Awan called for the involvement of foreign media, international observers, and bloggers in the cypher trial, citing its “international dimension.”

Despite ongoing legal challenges, Advocate Babar Awan expressed confidence, noting that the people of Pakistan have moved forward.