Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi guilty in cipher case, says FIA
Islamabad, September 30
Pakistan’s top investigation agency on Saturday declared former PM Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi guilty in a case related to the alleged disclosure of state secrets, popularly known as the cipher case.
28 witnesses
The FIA has submitted a list of 28 witnesses along with the chargesheet in the court. Foreign secretary Asad Majid, former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood and additional foreign secretary Faisal Niaz Tirmizi are among the witnesses.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted the chargesheet against Imran, the chairman of the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, and his deputy Qureshi, both currently in jail on judicial remand, to a special court established under the Official Secrets Act, a media report stated.
Imran, 70, was arrested last month after a case was filed against him for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by the country’s embassy in Washington last year in March. The FIA has requested the court to start the trial of the PTI leaders and sentence them according to the law, it said.
Qureshi, 75, is the vice chairman of the PTI. Party’s former general secretary Asad Umar has not been named in the FIA’s list of accused, while former principal secretary Azam Khan has been presented as a strong witness against Imran, another media report mentioned, adding the challan also carried Azam Khan’s statement recorded under sections 161 and 164.
The FIA has also attached the transcript of Imran and Qureshi’s speeches made on March 27.
The media report stated the FIA had submitted a list of 28 witnesses along with the chargesheet in the court. Names of foreign secretary Asad Majid, former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood and additional foreign secretary Faisal Niaz Tirmizi are included in the list of witnesses, it said.
Earlier on September 26, it was the third time that Imran was sent to jail on remand. His judicial remand was initially extended till September 13 and then again till September 26, along with Qureshi’s.
On the same day, Imran was shifted to the Adiala jail from Attock prison.
