Azam Khan tones down statement in cipher case

ISLAMABAD: The prosecution’s cipher case against Imran Khan got a serious blow as one of the key witnesses — Azam Khan, former secretary to ex-prime minister — gave a much-softened version of his earlier statements recorded under sections 161 and 164 of CrPC before the trial court.

Azam Khan’s statement before the trial court on Thursday last did not include the explosive parts of the statements that he had earlier given to the FIA and recorded before a magistrate under sections 161 and 164 of the CrPC respectively.

His statement before the trial court though talked about the missing copy of the cipher after it was handed over to the-then prime minister, it did not say anything about the alleged abuse of the secret document by Imran Khan for his political gains or to target the high military command.

The following portion of his earlier statements under sections 161 and 164 of CrPC, which were part of the prosecution’s case as presented before the trial court, was not part of what he stated before the trial court as a prosecution witness:

“In my view, PM Imran Khan planned to target the high command of Pakistan Army to pressurize them, so that they may come forward to rescue him in no-confidence motion which was his political gain. The unconstitutional ruling of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri regarding cipher was also directed by the-then PM Imran Khan. In-fact, Imran Khan played cipher conspiracy at everywhere and at every level for his political anti-state motives. Consequently, Imran Khan waved cipher telegram/document in a public rally held in Islamabad on 27.03.2022 which he had told me that said cipher given to him was missing. This abuse of a classified secret document for political gain by the PM Imran Khan was in fact a breach of trust as a public office holder, which led to compromising Pakistan’s foreign policy interest. In my opinion such action of former PM Imran Khan was to sow seeds of doubts in the minds of Army ranks against their high command and that the former PM Imran Khan used cipher conspiracy to build up his political capital without caring for sanctity of state institutions and charged his supporters to push for anti-state agenda and political interest”.

The above part of Azam Khan’s earlier statements, which was missing in his statement before the trial court, was one of the key factors in the making of cipher case against Imran Khan. Now, the change in Azam Khan’s statement has lessened the burden on Imran Khan to defend the alleged misuse of secret document for his political gains and to target the top military command. According to a FIA source, Azam Khan’s statements given before the trial court will favour Imran Khan instead of the prosecution. The source said the former secretary to prime minister ignored before the trial court those parts of his earlier statements given before the FIA and magistrate, which could have been damaging for Imran Khan. According to media reports, Imran Khan was happy with what Azam Khan had stated before the trial court and, for the same reason, the PTI founder chairman had padded on his former secretary’s back.