INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Pakistani top probe agency on Friday claimed that a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan
claimed to have leaked was never declassified, reported news agency PTI citing a media report.PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was jailed
this year in August in the cipher case, which involved an alleged violation of the Official Secret Act.It was alleged that the
cricketer-turned-politician disclosed a secret diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan's Washington embassy in March.Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former
foreign minister and Imran Khan's close aide, was also imprisoned in the same case."The much-discussed 7th March 2022 cipher, received by
the Foreign Ministry from the then Pakistani ambassador to the US, was never declassified," The News International reported, quoting sources
in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).The FIA, which had investigated the Cipher case and ruffled through the cabinet meetings record,
disclosed the sources linked to the newspaper that declassification of the cipher was "discussed" in a few meetings before Imran Khan lost
his government to the no-confidence motion
However, declassification was "never allowed"."These cabinet meetings were held after Imran Khan had already waved the copy of the cipher in
a public rally," the source told the outlet"It is learnt that the Foreign Ministry had strongly opposed the idea of declassifying the cipher
The matter was also referred to the Law Ministry," which, the sources said, "also opposed the proposal for declassification of the secret
cable."The sources have claimed that the Cabinet later only approved the proposal of providing a copy of the cipher to the President, Chief
Justice of Pakistan, National Assembly Speaker, and Senate Chairman.The sources have informed that the proposal for declassification of the
cipher was first discussed in the cabinet meeting on March 30, 2022 -- three days after Khan had waved the cipher copy in a public rally in
Islamabad."The 30th March cabinet meeting decided against the declassification of the cipher," The News International said.Khan, Qureshi,
and other leaders of the PTI have always claimed that the cipher was declassified.Shah Khawar, senior lawyer and head of the prosecution
team in the cipher case, told the newspaper that "the cipher was never declassified and there is no such Cabinet decision".Meanwhile,
foreign office spokesperson has declined to comment on the issue as the matter remains sub judice.
