Cipher copies 'handed over' to Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman offices have ‘handed over’ the copies of the cipher to the Foreign Office, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

The declassified copies of the confidential diplomatic cable were sent to nine top offices during tenure of PTI government, and only the Presidency had returned the copy by the time a case was registered against the ex-PM and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Aug 15, 2023.

were sent to both offices during the tenure of the PTI government.

Both the offices returned the copies of cipher under the security copies and to shun the use of them for more political gains, the sources said.

It is to be noted that the Foreign Office wrote to NA speaker office and Senate chairman office to return the copies of the cipher in August, 2023.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi in cipher case.

Read more: PTI founder, Qureshi acquitted in cipher case

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on the pleas challenging the conviction in the cipher case.

Cipher case

On January 30, a special court hearing cipher case handed a 10-year jail term, each, to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Both the PTI leaders were accused of conspiracy to misuse the contents of the cipher to fulfill nefarious purposes.

The court in its verdict said the prosecution had enough evidence to prove the charges against the former prime minister and ex-foreign minister.

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.