Cipher didn’t mention ‘conspiracy’ or ‘threat’: Asad Majeed

ISLAMABAD: A witness in cipher case, former ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Asad Majeed Tuesday told the court that there was no mention of words “conspiracy” and “threat” in the cipher telegram.

Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain of the Special Court of Official Secrets Act recorded the statements of six witnesses, including Asad, in the cipher case against former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and adjourned further hearing till Wednesday (today).

The cipher case hearing was held in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi appeared in the courtroom, while the six prosecution witnesses, including Asad Majeed, Faisal Tirmizi and Akbar Durrani, were presented in the court.

Asad Majeed said that he was the ambassador of Pakistan to the United States from January 2019 to March 2022. On March 7, 2022, Assistant Secretary of the US Department of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu was invited to a working lunch. It was a pre-arranged meeting hosted at Pakistan House in Washington.

Communication took place in the meeting, so a cipher telegram was sent to the foreign secretary. The deputy head of Mission and defence attaché were also present in the meeting.

In the meeting, both sides knew that minutes of the meeting were being taken. The conversation in the meeting was reported to Islamabad in cipher telegram. There was no reference to the words “threat” or “conspiracy” in the secret cipher telegram.

Majeed further told the court that he was also called to the National Security Committee meeting. And in the meeting, it was decided to issue demarche.

“I had proposed to issue the demarche.”

He said that the cipher issue was a setback for Pakistan-US relations.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till today.

The lawyers of founder PTI and Shah Mahmood Qureshi will start the cross-examination of the witnesses from today. In total, the statements of 25 witnesses have been recorded in the cipher case.

Earlier, when the hearing started, Qureshi came to the rostrum and said that his nomination papers from NA-151 and PP-218 were rejected. “I had asked for confirmation of nomination papers, the judge asked me to attach his my order but the nomination papers were rejected despite judge’s order, he added.

Qureshi got angry when the prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi spoke on the occasion. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader said: “I am talking about my fundamental rights, why are you interrupting?

Qureshi said: “If you have come from above? Who are you? What is your social standing?

Abbasi replied in the same coin. The judge kept urging Qureshi him to keep his calm.

The PTI leader submitted a petition against rejection of nomination papers. The judge said that it was his right, and the count would look into this request.

“You will get the rights you have,” the court added.

Meanwhile, granting an interim relief, the Lahore High Court (LHC) restored Imran Khan’s bail in seven cases related to the May 9 riots.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Aalia Neelum announced the verdict reserved on the former prime minister’s plea challenging the cancellation of bail in seven cases related to the May 9 events.

Moreover, the high court ordered the trial court to give a verdict on his interim bail pleas. The verdict comes after an anti-terrorism court rejected the petitions seeking bail extension for the politico, who was ousted from his office through a parliamentary vote in 2022, in seven cases, including the May 9 riots and the attack on Jinnah House.

A trial court had given the verdict on August 11 last year, after hearing arguments from both sides.

Separately, the PTI founder moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in connection with his bail in Toshakhana and 190 million pounds cases.

PTI founder has filed separate bail pleas in both the cases. Through the petitions request had been made to annul the accountability court decision.

It had been prayed in the petitions that all the cases registered against Imran were based on political revenge and malafide intent. Former NAB chairman Aftab Sultan refused to frame cases of political nature despite pressure. So the bail be approved till the final decision.

The PTI founder has made NAB chairman, DG and investigation officer respondents.

It is pertinent to mention here that the accountability court had rejected bail after arrest plea of the PTI founder in both the cases.