ISLAMABAD: Former secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asad Majeed, on Monday, while testifying before the special court hearing the cypher case against former prime minister Imran Khan and others, said that he had suggested issuing demarche to the United States of America (USA).
Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, while hearing the case at Adiala jail, recorded the testimony of Asad Majeed. There was no reference to the words “threat” or “conspiracy” in the secret cypher telegram, he said.
Jail authorities produced PTI Founder Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi before the court.
Majeed further said that he remained as Ambassador of Pakistan in the USA from January 2019 to March 2022. I had invited the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu on March 7, 2022, for a working launch, he said, adding that it was a pre-planned lunch hosted by him in the Pakistan House in Washington DC for the US team dealing with Pakistan.
He said that the cypher telegram of the communication at the meeting was sent to the secretary of foreign affairs. The US deputy assistant secretary of state and the US defense attaché were present during the meeting, he said, adding that both sides were aware that the conversation was being minuted.
The former ambassador said that he was called to the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting and it was decided in the meeting to issue a demarche to the USA. The cypher episode was a setback for Pakistan-US relations, he said.
At the start of the hearing, Qureshi came to the rostrum and said that despite the guarantee given by the judge, I was played. My nomination papers from NA-150, NA-151, and PP-218 were rejected due to non-verification of nomination papers, he said, adding that he made a request for verification of his nomination papers and the judge told him that attach his order along with the papers. Despite the attachment of the court’s order, my nomination papers were rejected, he said.
The judge told Qureshi that they had fulfilled all legal requirements. Qureshi was annoyed when the prosecutor Rizwan Abbas interrupted during his [Qureshi] conversation with the judge. I am talking about my basic rights, why are they talking in the middle? Qureshi said. Qureshi and the prosecutor exchanged harsh words with each other.
Qureshi filed an application against the rejection of his nomination papers. About the application, the judge said that it is your right and we will look into it. What is your right you will get, the judge said.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case till today (Tuesday).
Khan, while talking to reporters informally in the courtroom, said that the demarche was issued on the recommendations of the ambassador and it is being said that there is no conspiracy. In the history of Pakistan, no such kind of cypher has come, adding that Qureshi came to know about the cypher by chance as it was sent for former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Efforts were made to hide the cypher as it exposed Donald Lu, he said, adding that if there was nothing unusual in the cypher then why demarche was issued?
Does anyone issue demarche to the US [without reason]? Khan asked. He said that the cypher became public the day the demarche was issued. Why the NSC meeting termed the cypher an interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan, he asked.
He said that a parliamentary committee was constituted on cypher matter, asking on whose orders that committee was dissolved.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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