Cipher case: FIA files plea seeking in-camera hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday filed a petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking in-camera hearing of bail application of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief in cipher case, ARY News reported.

FIA Special Prosecutor Shah Khawar filed the miscellaneous petition, seeking in-camera hearing of bail application. Meanwhile, the high court fixed the miscellaneous application for hearing on Monday.

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq will hear the miscellaneous application.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) will announce its decision on the bail applications of the PTI chief Imran Khan tomorrow (Monday).

The sessions court and anti-terrorism court had previously rejected applications as they were not properly followed.

In the petitions, the Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief filed through counsels, it was requested that the nine pending bail applications be considered by the respective courts as pending. It also urged the court to prevent arrests in these nine cases until the final decisions are made.

A day earlier, the FIA submitted challan of the cipher case in a special court constituted under the official secrets act. PTI chairman and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi were indicted in the challan.

The FIA pleaded to the court for trial and conviction of the Chairman PTI and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Sources said that former minister and PTI leader Asad Umar has not been named in the list of the accused.

Former principal secretary to the PM Azam Khan has become a strong witness in the FIA’s case. His statement under 161 and 164 has also been annexed with the challan, according to sources.

Cipher case

The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act. It was registered on the complaint of the Home Secretary.

Former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were nominated in the report, while names of former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar were also mentioned.

According to the report, action also will be taken against Azam Khan and Asad Umar after the authorities reached the conclusion that they were also involved in misusing the classified documents.

The FIR stated that the former prime minister and foreign minister distorted the facts of the diplomatic cipher. “A conspiracy was launched to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes”, it added. It further stated that former premier and top diplomat endangered the state interests.

The report claimed that former prime minister asked Azam Khan – the then principal secretary – to “manipulate the contents of cipher”. “The former premier deliberately kept the copy of diplomatic cipher, which was sent to the PM office”, it added.