ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s counsel in the cypher case raised questions over the statements of former principle secretary Azam Khan and Pakistan’s former ambassador to the USA Asad Majeed.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, on Thursday, heard the appeals moved by former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi against their convictions in the cypher and Toshakhana cases.
During the hearing, Khan’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar said there is a huge difference between Azam Khan’s statement of 164 and the statement he recorded before the court.
Justice Aurangzeb asked what is the difference between the statement of 164 and the statement of Azam Khan before the court. The lawyer replied Azam Khan is saying that it was a paper that was waved. The judge asked that then tell me what did PTI founder waved in the rally. The lawyer said that this is what the prosecution has to prove.
Barrister Safdar said Azam Khan said in his statement that he did not know what was in the paper Imran Khan waved at the rally. Justice Farooq remarked that no one knows, not even the principal secretary, what was the document that was waved, if Azam Khan had said in the statement that he had opened the document and read it, then the situation would have been different.
Then, the lawyer read out Majeed’s statement. He said that Majeed was Pakistan’s ambassador to the USA and he sent the cypher. He said the ambassador in his statement said that there was no word “conspiracy” written in the cypher but he did not tell what was the reason for which he had to send the cypher.
Justice Aurangzeb said that the National Security Committee recommended that the US ambassador be demarched. He added that demarching means you are offended.
The IHC chief justice remarked that Majeed and Azam Khan could be star witnesses, but there is nothing like that in the testimony of Majeed.
Barrister Safdar stated that Pakistan’s ambassador to the USA is called to the National Security Committee meeting, from USA, he comes to attend the meeting and recommends that the US ambassador be demarched.
Justice Aurangzeb said Majeed is a witness in the case and among the few who saw the cypher. Safdar added that he [Majeed] wrote the cypher with his own hand and sent it to Pakistan. Justice Farooq said Majeed had sent what Donald Lu had talked to him. Safdar contended that Majeed, who sent the cypher, said he was having dinner with Donald Lu.
Safdar also contended that the trial judge wrote that this cypher episode may damage future relations. But he said that the PTI founder did not violate his oath by taking the people into confidence in this matter.
He argued that the trial judge wrote that the cypher episode caused a lot of damage to the relations between the two countries. Justice Aurangzeb asked what does cypher episode mean. Justice Farooq said that the judge should have written about this in a more specific manner and Majeed also did not tell what he sent.
Later, the IHC bench deferred the hearing until April 2.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024