'Cipher gate' was a 'preplanned conspiracy', used for political gains: Azam Khan

Alleges the drama of cipher was staged to gain political mileage

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Principal secretary to the fomer prime minister Azam Khan on Wednesday claimed that the ex-premier had "pre-planned" the US cipher drama in an attempt to gain political mileage, sources told Dunya News on Wednesday.

Khan, who had earlier been "missing" since last month, had recorded his statement under the CrPC 164 before a magistrate.

The former bureaucrat, in his confession, said when he provided the ex-premier with the cipher, he was "happy" and termed the language as a "US blunder". The former minister then said, according to Azam, that the cable could be used for "creating a narrative against the establishment and opposition".

Per the confession, the former premier also told Azam that the cipher could be used to divert the public's attention towards "foreign involvement" in the opposition's no-confidence motion.

The ex-premier told him [Azam] he would display the cipher in front of the public and "twist the narrative that a foreign conspiracy is being hatched in collusion with local partners and play [the] victim card. 

The confession further stated that the former premier kept cipher with himself in violation of the prevailing law.   

However, Azam Khan in his confession said that till the time he was former prime minister's principal secretary, the cipher was not returned to the Prime Minister's Office as the latter had lost the original document.

-- What is Cipher gate --

The issue arose first time when the former prime minister dipslayed a letter during a public meeting in the federal capital on March 27 2022, claiming that it was a cipher from a foreign nation, which mentioned that his government should be removed from power.

He, however, didn't reveal the contents of the letter nor mention the name of the nation that had sent it. But a few days later, he named the United States and said that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal.

The cipher was on former Pakistan ambassador to the US Asad Majeed's meeting with LU.

The ex-premier claimed he was reading contents from the cipher, saying that "all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power".

On March 31, the National Security Committee (NSC) took up the matter and decided to issue a "strong demarche" to the country for its "blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan".