SC quashes petitions seeking probe of cipher
Pakistan
Apex court quashes all three petitions in connection with cipher
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court (SC) quashed on Wednesday the petitions seeking investigation of the cipher.
SC senior judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa heard a petition regarding the objections raised to the pleas. He questioned, "Is dealing with foreign affairs the duty of the court?"
The court was informed that Imran Khan was the prime minister during that time, adding that Imran waived the cipher in public meeting as the premier.
Justice Qazi Faez questioned whether Imran, as Prime Minister, had the authority to investigate the cypher issue. Whether Imran had taken the decision to conduct the investigation in this regard."
He remarked, "If the government wants, it can make public the cipher of the entire world. But if some other entity does the same thing, then this will be a violation of the Secrets Act."
Justice Faez said in connection with the investigation of the cipher, it is up to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct an investigation, adding the judiciary could not interfere in the matter of the executive. Only those who were responsible should conduct the investigation in this regard, he added.
After hearing the arguments of the lawyers, the apex court quashed all three petitions in connection with the cipher.
Read also: SC's Justice Tariq Masood recuses himself from hearing petitions on cipher
Last month, Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on Tuesday recused himself from an in-chamber hearing of petitions seeking probe into a cipher, which contained, according to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, evidence of foreign conspiracy against his government.
The petitions were filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and government against the objections raised by the SC registrar on them. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had nominated Justice Masood for hearing them in his chamber. However, Justice Masood had sent back the petitions to the chief justice, asking him to nominate another judge for the hearing.
The former PM, in his petition, had requested the top court to set up a Memogate-style commission to investigate the alleged “foreign conspiracy” to topple his government. However, the apex court’s registrar office had raised several objections and returned the petition filed by the PTI chief. Subsequently, the PTI chairman had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking in-chamber hearing against the registrar office’s objections.
“It is the genuine aspiration/desire of the answering Respondent [Imran Khan] that this honourable court which has taken cognisance of this matter should hold inquisitorial proceedings as done in the “Memogate case,” Mr Khan had requested the in the appeal.
The cipher controversy started when former prime minister Imran Khan brandished a letter at a public gathering in March -- days before his removal through a no-confidence vote, claiming that it contained evidence of conspiracy plotted to send his government packing. The PTI chief did not share the content of the cipher in the gathering but revealed that the conspiracy was spearheaded by the US through local actors. The US has repeatedly denied the allegations.
