'Massive crime' if leaked cipher alleged contents true, says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday that if the alleged contents of a diplomatic cipher, cited by ex-premier Imran Khan as proof of an attempt to remove his government, were true, that would be a “massive crime ”.

The purported cipher, which was sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's former US ambassador last year, was reproduced on Wednesday by The Intercept.

It contained a description of a meeting between US State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, and Pakistani envoy Asad Majeed Khan.

According to the alleged contents of the cable, the US disagreed with Imran Khan's foreign policy in regard to the conflict in Ukraine.

In an interview with WE News today, PM Shehbaz was asked if The Intercept story proved Imran’s claims regarding the cipher and the foreign conspiracy.

“The answer to your question is that two meetings of the National Security Committee were held on the cipher under my leadership. In one of the meetings, former ambassador and Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed clearly stated that there was no discussion of a conspiracy in his meeting with Donald Lu,” the outgoing premier said.

Earlier, former interior minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah called for an investigation into the authenticity of the source document that formed the basis of The Intercept's report on the 'cipher', which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan claimed was proof of a US conspiracy to remove his government last year.

"Though there is nothing new in this story, the investigation needs to (be) held to establish the authenticity of the information or source document," he tweeted on Thursday. "Potentially, it is a very sinister, treacherous, and seditious act."

"It should not be forgotten that Imran Khan Niazi had a copy of the cypher, which he has not returned and has accepted (on record) that he misplaced or lost it. If proven guilty, Khan should be tried under the Official Secret Act," Sanaullah added.

The Intercept's report

On Wednesday, The Intercept, a US-based news organisation, published a report on the basis of the 'cipher' document.

"The document, labeled 'Secret,' includes an account of the meeting between State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, and Asad Majeed Khan, who at the time was Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S," The Intercept wrote in its description.

As per the purported contents of the cable, the US objected to Imran's foreign policy regarding the Ukraine war, with the report quoting Lu as saying, “people here and in Europe are quite concerned about why Pakistan is taking such an aggressively neutral position (on Ukraine), if such a position is even possible. It does not seem such a neutral stand to us.”

Lu further said that he had held internal discussions with the US National Security Council and that “it seems quite clear that this is the Prime Minister’s policy.”

“I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister,” Lu said, according to the document.

“Otherwise, I think it will be tough going ahead.”

Lu also warned that if the situation was not resolved, Pakistan would be marginalised by its Western allies.

“I cannot tell how this will be seen by Europe but I suspect their reaction will be similar,” Lu said.

US responds

During a presser on Wednesday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that even if the comments were accurate as reported by The Intercept, they in no way show the United States taking a position on who the leader of Pakistan ought to be.

"We express concern privately to the Government of Pakistan, as we express concern publicly, about the visit of then-Prime Minister Khan to Moscow on the very day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We made that concern quite clear."

"But as the former Pakistani ambassador to the United States himself has stated, the allegations that the United States has interfered in internal decisions about the leadership of Pakistan are false. As we’ve stated, they’re false. They’ve always been false, and they remain false."

Imran Khan's claims

The cipher first became the topic of discussion when Imran Khan, then prime minister, said that a 'foreign conspiracy' was being hatched to topple his government. The remarks came during a live address at Parade Ground, Islamabad on March 27, 2022. The no-confidence vote, which resulted in his ouster, was moved on April 9.

During his Parade Ground address, Imran did not mention the US or the countries involved.

“I seldom write my speeches but I wrote this speech today so that I don’t get emotional and say anything which can affect our foreign policy,” he had said.

While taking out a piece of paper from the pocket of his black waistcoat, claiming it an evidence, Imran had also said: “We got to know about it [foreign conspiracy] a few months back…if anyone has any doubt, I can show the letter to him but it would be off the record,” the PM said.

“We know from where attempts are being made to pressure us…we’ve been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interest no matter what,” he declared.

A few days later, with the no-confidence motion gathering momentum, Imran -- during another live address -- mentioned the US by name before retracting it.

After his ouster as prime minister, Imran doubled down on the narrative before saying this year that the “regime change conspiracy” against his government was hatched in the country, not the United States.

During this entire time, the US has maintained that "there has never been a truth" to PTI chairman Imran Khan's allegations regarding Washington's purported role in the foreign conspiracy.