Cypher drama, long march carried out to impose presidential system: Vawda

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Faisal Vawda on Wednesday asserted that the cypher ‘drama’ and long march of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were carried out to impose presidential system in the country, ARY News reported.

Speaking on ARY News programme ‘Khabbar’, the minister alleged that it had been planned to impose presidential set-up in the country through the series of events including the assassination of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, cypher controversy and then the long march – wherein the PTI chief Imran Khan survived a gun attack.

Faisal Vawda claimed that it had been planned to bring Imran Khan and impose presidential system in the country. “Another reason for the series of events was to remove Qamar Javed Bajwa and bring army chief of choice,” he added.

In response to a question, Vawda said that Azam Khan – former principal secretary – never rejected orders of two personalities – PTI chief Imran Khan and former director-general (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed.

“Azam Khan is present at his home and is fine,” he said, adding that the former principal secretary will address a press conference soon.

Responding to another question, the former PTI leader said that Ishaq Dar had also recorded a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) but no action has been taken yet.

He asked the government to also hold others responsible for the cypher controversy besides PTI chief. “Imran Khan has led to a dead end,” he said, adding that he was heading towards ‘political suicide’.

Vawda pointed out that not all cabinet members were present in a meeting related to cypher — which the PTI chief has for long presented as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to oust him from the top office.

Read More: PTI chief should be punished for anti-state ‘cypher drama’: Sanaullah

Earlier in the day, a confessional statement of Azam Khan surfaced wherein he claimed that former prime minister used US cypher for his ‘political gains’ and to avert a no-confidence motion against him.

The former PM earned massive public support while running a campaign that claimed a conspiracy was behind his ouster. In his speech on March 27, last year, he displayed a “threat letter,” a diplomatic code, which was used to depose his government a few days later through a vote of no confidence.

Khan, who had earlier been “missing” since last month, suddenly appeared before the scene and made startling revelations about US cypher, while recording his statement under the CrPC 164 before a magistrate.

The former bureaucrat, in his confession, said when he provided the ex-premier with the cypher, he was “euphoric” and termed the language as a “US blunder”.