Cipher was hidden from PM and FM, we extracted it: Gill

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff Dr Shahbaz Gill Sunday came up with an entirely different story about the cipher, claiming that attempts were made to hide it from the PTI chairman.

Addressing a news conference here, he claimed that the cipher was being hidden from Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, but “we extracted it with force”. However, he stopped short of saying who was hiding it.

When asked who attempted to hide the alleged letter, he put the responsibility on reporters, saying that journalists knew better who did so. Again, when pressed why the-then PTI government had not taken action against those responsible for hiding the letter, he tried to parry the question and then said that the energies of the-then government were being consumed on tackling the conspiracy, therefore, it was not possible at that time to hold someone accountable.

He added that even if accountability would have been conducted, the people involved in it would have been rescued. On the contrary, PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi had himself said in a TV show on April 5, 2022, that he had seen the letter a couple of days after he came to know about it and when the letter came to his notice, he had expressed concerns and also informed prime minister Imran Khan that it was a thing worth-noting. Moreover, Qureshi added that other stakeholders were also informed about it.