Former foreign secretary Asad Majeed has become another witness in the cipher case against PTI chief Imran Khan, affirming that the PTI chairman’s involvement in the diplomatic cable issue has a detrimental impact on Pakistan’s image.
In his statement before the court, Majeed stated, “The PTI chairman’s cipher affair damaged Pakistan’s communication system. It has also affected the credibility of our diplomats and their future diplomacy.”
The cipher case revolves around a missing diplomatic document allegedly once in Khan’s possession. The PTI claims that this document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran from office due to his stance on Russia.
Majeed served as the ambassador to the US when the cipher controversy emerged and the PTI made accusations against America. He clarified that since March 7, he has neither met the former prime minister nor engaged in any direct or indirect communication with him. He also mentioned that he never met or conversed with the prime minister’s special assistant. “I invited US Department of Defense Assistant Secretary Donald Lu on March 7 to meet at the Pakistan House in Washington, which had already been scheduled for lunch.”
With Majeed’s inclusion, the number of witnesses in the case has risen to 28. Former interior ministry secretary Yusuf Naseem Khokhar is the complainant, and Aftab Akbar Durrani, Asad Majeed, Muhammad Azam Khan, Dakar Haseeb Bin Aziz, Sajid Mehmood, Faisal Niaz Timrezi, Noman Bashir, Mohammad Ashfaq, and Haseeb Gohar are among the witnesses.
Azam Khan’s Statement
Additionally, former principal secretary Azam Khan asserted in his statement that Imran Khan devised a targeted plan against the army and alleged that the National Assembly speaker issued a ruling on the cipher under the PTI chairman’s instructions. Azam accused Khan of using the cipher case for political purposes to avoid a no-confidence motion by directing accusations at the army.
Azam further claimed that Khan sought to pressure institutions for assistance in the no-confidence motion and aimed to present the cipher as a foreign conspiracy to the public, portraying himself as its victim. He stated that the former prime minister initially received a copy of the cipher and later claimed it was missing.
