Former prime minister Imran Khan’s then-principal secretary Azam Khan has “recorded” an announcement, terming the US cipher a “conspiracy” utilized by the ex-PM to “manipulate for making a narrative towards institution and opposition.”
Azam, who has been “lacking” since final month, has recorded his assertion underneath CrPC 164 earlier than a Justice of the Peace, the sources added, with no data on his whereabouts.
Khan, ousted through a parliamentary vote in April final 12 months, had alleged on March 27, 2022, that Washington orchestrated a plan to take away him from workplace — and brandished the cipher at a public rally to again his claims.
In his confession, Azam claimed that when he shared the cipher with Imran, the previous premier was “euphoric” and termed the language as a “US blunder”.
The ex-prime minister then stated, in line with Azam, that the cable could possibly be used for “making a narrative towards institution and opposition”.
The confession mentions that Khan additionally informed Azam that the cipher could possibly be used to divert the general public’s consideration in the direction of “overseas involvement” within the opposition’s no-confidence movement.
Azam’s confession mentions that Imran informed him he would show the cipher in entrance of the general public and “twist the narrative {that a} overseas conspiracy is being hatched in collusion with native companions and play [the] sufferer card”.
When Azam, in line with the sources, informed Imran Khan that the cipher was a secret doc and its content material couldn’t be disclosed earlier than the general public, the then-premier instructed a proper assembly with then-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and then-foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood “the place they’ll learn the cipher from the overseas ministry’s copy (as Imran Khan’s unique copy was nonetheless misplaced) and from minutes of the assembly additional resolution may be made”.
The confession talked about that the then-premier determined to name particular conferences of the cupboard and the Nationwide Safety Division to debate the cipher and notice down the minutes of the conferences.
Nonetheless, he talked about that until the time he was Imran’s principal secretary, the cipher was not returned to the Prime Minister’s Workplace as Imran had misplaced the unique doc.