ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the party’s Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are once again indicted in the cipher case, which involves a diplomatic document under the Official Secrets Act. The special court, operating under the Official Secrets Act 2023, issued the indictment on Wednesday.
Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the proceedings, framing charges against the PTI leaders. Both politicians maintained their innocence, pleading not guilty to accusations of utilizing diplomatic cables for political purposes.
Notably, this marked the second occasion on which the PTI leaders faced indictment in connection to the alleged offense.
The Federal Investigation Agency claims that Imran failed to return the document, alleging it contained a threat from the United States to remove him as prime minister.
The initial indictment on October 23 was invalidated by the Islamabad High Court, leading to the ongoing legal proceedings. The case centers around a diplomatic document, with PTI asserting that it contained a threat against Imran Khan. During the previous trial held at Adiala Jail, the proceedings were annulled due to a court ruling that deemed the government’s notification for a jail trial as “erroneous.”
Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain ruled that the trial would continue at Adiala Jail but in an open court setting. Shah Mahmood Qureshi requested the court to summon President Dr. Arif Alvi to testify regarding changes in the Official Secrets Act. Imran Khan, in a recent petition, challenged the indictment process and urged the court to halt the proceedings.
The First Information Report (FIR) accuses Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi of the wrongful use of official secret information and the illegal retention of a cipher telegram with malicious intent. The allegations suggest that they, along with associates, communicated classified information to unauthorized individuals and held a clandestine meeting to misuse the cipher contents for their “nefarious designs.”
Imran Khan allegedly instructed his former principal secretary to tamper with meeting minutes for personal gain, jeopardizing national security. The accused retained a cipher telegram, compromising the state’s cipher security system and the confidential communication methods of Pakistani missions abroad.
