The Official Secrets Act court has called PTI leaders Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to appear on October 4 regarding the cypher case. This action followed after the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) submission, which accuses both leaders of violating the Official Secrets Act of 1923.
Previously, the FIA asserted that Imran Khan, the ex-prime minister, had illicitly held a diplomatic cypher, warranting legal action. The charge sheet highlights Qureshi’s alleged involvement and cites his speech from March 27, 2022, in Islamabad.
Before his removal due to a no-confidence vote, Imran had presented a document at a rally on March 27, 2022, terming it as proof of a plot against his leadership.
The FIA’s investigation into this ‘cypher-gate’ began on July 19, 2023, after an official PML-N-led government announcement. Following the probe, Qureshi was arrested on August 19, with Khan’s arrest coming ten days later. PTI’s former secretary-general, Asad Umar, wasn’t named in the accusations.
The charge sheet incorporates transcripts from the rally and lists 28 witnesses, including eminent foreign secretaries. These documents will likely be shared with Khan and Qureshi at their next court appearance.
In response, the PTI spokesperson vehemently dismissed the FIA’s allegations, branding them as lacking merit and questioning their validity in the ‘cypher case’.
