1) using secret correspondence for political gains, 2) harming
Pakistan's relations with the US and 3) not returning or losing the
document. The statements of the witnesses recorded by the FIA negate
Imran Khan's position that the matter was a conspiracy to change him. At
the same time, these statements confirm that the Chairman PTI interpreted the
cipher arbitrarily to use it for political gains and to defeat the
no-confidence motion against his government. All this shows that the
politicization of the cipher has harmed Pakistan's relations with the US and
benefited other countries. It also highlighted how sensitive the issue of
dealing with ciphers is. A look at the documents available with The News
shows how serious this case is. In the cipher case, the application was
filed by the then Home Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokar, while the prosecution
witnesses included former Prime Minister Imran Khan's secretary Azam Khan,
former Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood, former ambassador to the US Asad
Majeed Khan, the then Additional Secretary. (USA) and currently Ambassador of
Pakistan to UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, then Director General of Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Noman Bashir Bhatti, Joint Secretary PM Office Shoaib Sarwar,
Joint Secretary PM Office Haseeb Gohar, Deputy Secretary PM Office , Deputy
Secretary Cabinet Division, Deputy Director Secret Section Political Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Secretary PM Office, Deputy Director Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and others. The Home Secretary said that the government
had declared him as the authorized person to file a complaint with the FIA
under the Official Secrets Act in the cipher case.
Prime Minister's then secretary Azam Khan has said in his
statement that Imran Khan read the contents of the cipher and called it a
mistake of the American official and emphasized that it was a collusion of the
opposition parties and state institutions against him. Can be used effectively
to create a narrative. According to Azam Khan, the former prime minister
also said that Cipher Telegram could be used to counter anti-trust
motions. Azam Khan said that Imran Khan talked about creating a political
narrative that the opposition parties are conspiring with the establishment and
America to remove his government. Azam Khan said that the Prime Minister
obtained a copy of the cipher from him and then did not return it.
And when he was later asked, he told the secretary that he had
lost the cipher and would look for it. Azam Khan said he told the prime
minister that the cipher was a decoded secret document and its contents could
not be disclosed or discussed in public. The then Foreign Secretary Sohail
Mehmood said in his statement that he was surprised to see Imran Khan and Shah
Mehmood Qureshi referencing the cipher in public meetings for their personal
and political gain and both of them did not even think that they had used it
for the country. How much damage has been done to the entire cipher security
system? The former foreign secretary said that Imran Khan waved the cipher
in front of the public and by doing so he actually benefited the foreign
states. He said that later he A note was received from the Additional
Secretary (USA) on how the USA expressed its concerns over Imran Khan's
statements in the public rally.
Later in a cabinet meeting, he discussed the pitfalls of
divulging the cipher and highlighted the sensitivities involved. He also
warned how revealing the cipher could damage Pakistan's relations with the US
and some other countries. He said that the foreign states who did not want
Pakistan to have good relations with America took advantage of this whole
incident. Asad Majeed Khan, the then ambassador of Pakistan to the US, in
his statement told about his meeting with Donald Lowe and the subsequent letter
sent to the Foreign Office in Islamabad. He said that he had only
mentioned what had happened between him and Donald Lowe and that the word
"threat" or "conspiracy" had not been mentioned in his communication
sent to Islamabad.
Asad Majeed said that he had suggested that a demarche should be
issued to the US both in Islamabad and Washington. He also referred to the
meetings of the National Security Committee, in which the cipher case was
discussed, and said that the committee also concluded that there was no
external conspiracy to change the government in Pakistan. The then
Additional Secretary (America) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Faisal Niaz
Tirmizi said in his statement that the American authorities had informed him
that the manner in which Prime Minister Imran Khan's cipher case was dealt with
was not well understood by the American government in Washington. DG
Foreign Ministry Noman Bashir said in his statement that ciphers are secret documents
and their misuse benefits foreign powers and harms Pakistan's cipher security
system. Shoaib Sarwar, Joint Secretary (Foreign and Social Affairs Wing)
of the Prime Minister's Office said that as per the practice, the cipher
addressed to the Prime Minister reaches his office, but he has never seen or
read the cipher. He added that the cipher was not sent back to his
office. There are several other witnesses who have given statements
regarding the handling of the cipher and its transport from one place to
another. A foreign ministry official who deals with ciphers said that a
copy of the cipher sent to the prime minister's secretary was never returned to
the foreign ministry's cipher centre. There was no mention of a
"conspiracy". Asad Majeed said that he had suggested that a
demarche should be issued to the US both in Islamabad and Washington. He
also referred to the meetings of the National Security Committee, in which the
cipher case was discussed, and said that the committee also concluded that
there was no external conspiracy to change the government in Pakistan.
The then Additional Secretary (America) of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said in his statement that the American
authorities had informed him that the manner in which Prime Minister Imran
Khan's cipher case was dealt with was not well understood by the American
government in Washington. DG Foreign Ministry Noman Bashir said in his
statement that ciphers are secret documents and their misuse benefits foreign
powers and harms Pakistan's cipher security system. Shoaib Sarwar, Joint
Secretary (Foreign and Social Affairs Wing) of the Prime Minister's Office said
that as per the practice, the cipher addressed to the Prime Minister reaches
his office, but he has never seen or read the cipher. He added that the
cipher was not sent back to his office. There are several other witnesses
who have given statements regarding the handling of the cipher and its
transport from one place to another. A foreign ministry official who deals
with ciphers said that a copy of the cipher sent to the prime minister's
secretary was never returned to the foreign ministry's cipher
centre. There was no mention of a "conspiracy".
Asad Majeed said that he had suggested that a demarche should be
issued to the US both in Islamabad and Washington. He also referred to the
meetings of the National Security Committee, in which the cipher case was
discussed, and said that the committee also concluded that there was no
external conspiracy to change the government in Pakistan. The then
Additional Secretary (America) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Faisal Niaz
Tirmizi said in his statement that the American authorities had informed him
that the manner in which Prime Minister Imran Khan's cipher case was dealt with
was not well understood by the American government in Washington. DG
Foreign Ministry Noman Bashir said in his statement that ciphers are secret
documents and their misuse benefits foreign powers and harms Pakistan's cipher
security system. Shoaib Sarwar, Joint Secretary (Foreign and Social
Affairs Wing) of the Prime Minister's Office said that as per the practice, the
cipher addressed to the Prime Minister reaches his office, but he has never
seen or read the cipher. He added that the cipher was not sent back to his
office. There are several other witnesses who have given statements
regarding the handling of the cipher and its transport from one place to
another. A foreign ministry official who deals with ciphers said that a
copy of the cipher sent to the prime minister's secretary was never returned to
the foreign ministry's cipher centre.
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