ISLAMABAD: The special court on Monday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
Special Court Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain while hearing the case at Adiala jail indicted Khan and Qureshi and summoned witnesses at the next hearing to be held on October 27. During the hearing, the court marked the attendance of the PTI chief and vice chairman. The judge read out the charge sheet during the hearing.
However, both the PTI chief and Qureshi pleaded not guilty and refused to accept the charge sheet. PTI chief’s legal team comprising Advocate Umair Niazi, Khalid Yousaf Chaudary, Advocate and Usman Riaz Gul, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor appeared before the court.
The charge sheet read out by the judge stated that Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi being prime minister of Pakistan illegally retained and wrongly communicated a secret document (cipher) telegram that was sent by Parep Washington (USA) on March 7, 2022, and the same was received by secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The said information/cipher was related to top secret information which were between two states i.e., USA and Pakistan, thereby, you accused while holding the office being Prime Minister having in your possession a secret document (cipher) and the said information which was relating to top secret between two states which you accused used in a prohibited place (Jalsa) and you willfully communicated the said cipher document and information to unauthorized persons to whom you were not authorized to communicate it which was in any manner against the interest of the State of Pakistan, it said.
It further said that said document (Cipher) was entrusted to you in confidence by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you used the said document while keeping in it your possession for the benefit of your personal political design and compromised the cipher and security system of Pakistan which was prejudicial for the safety of the state. You (Khan) subject to connivance with your co-accused convened a clandestine meeting at Bani Gala on March 28, 2022 to conspire to misuse the contents of cipher in order to accomplish yournefarious design, it says.
The charge sheet further said that that numbered and accountable ciphered telegram sent to your office was deliberately kept in your custody with malafide intention and the same was never returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; that the said cipher official telegram (official Secret document classified) is still in your illegal possession /retention and in the light of above said unauthorized retention and misuse of cipher telegram by you the accused compromised the entire cipher security system of the State and Secret communication methods of Pakistan missions abroad, as such you accused committed the offences punishable under 5 & 9 of the Official Secret Act, 1923 read with section 34 PPC which is within the cognizance of this court.
It added that accused Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi being Foreign Minister at that time in connivance with your co-accused Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi (in the light of supra mentioned allegations) aided and abetted your co-accused while committing the above said Acts done by your co-accused Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi and thereby you are liable for that act in the same manner as it was done by your co-accused Khan alone, as such accused committed the offence u/s 34 PPC read with Section 5 and 9 of the Official Secret Act, 1923 which are within the cognizance of this Court.
Khan’s lawyer Advocate Umair Niazi, while talking to the media after the hearing, said that his client had denied the crime. He said that he would challenge the special court in Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Speaking to reporters, Advocate Usman Riaz Gul said the PTI chairman’s request for a bicycle for exercise in Adiala Jail was approved. The court directed Adiala jail authorities to provide bicycle in the jail to Khan, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023