ISLAMABAD – The Special Court established under the Special Secrets Act issued the detailed verdict in the cipher case on Thursday, holding that both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi violated their oaths as the prime minister and the foreign minister, respectively, and caused damage to Pakistan-US relations.
In a 77-page verdict, Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain also held that both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi attempted to garner sympathy for personal gains.
The court held that both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a lie while the statement of Azam Khan was based on truth which strengthened the stance of the prosecution in the case. By the said act of both the convicts, the system to establish ties with the other countries also got damaged.
Azam Khan, according to the verdict, told the court that he made Imran Khan understand about the matter and informed him about the importance of the official secrets law but he ignored his advice and made it public.
“They violated their oaths and damaged the country at the global stage while the country’s economy also suffered,” it ruled.
The PTI founder, the court held, spoke a lie and made a fake narrative that his government was removed under a conspiracy, and that he also targeted the Pakistan army.
“This is an open and shut case against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi,” said the court.
According to the witnesses, Shah Mahmood Qureshi incited the people in public gathering on the matter of cipher, and both Imran and Qureshi failed to prove themselves innocent.
The court also held that the prosecution proved the case against both the accused.
Besides it, the court also ruled that Imran Khan did not send the copy of the Cipher back to the ministry of foreign affairs. The ministry could not demand the cipher back from the prime minister and he being the PM should have sent it back to it.
“Till today, Imran Khan did not return the cipher back to the ministry,” the court ruled.
The defense counsels, the court held, remained absent on January 27 while the government lawyer was present there in the court. The defense counsels looked non-serious about the case.
“The case was about the cipher that was sent from Washington to Islamabad and it was based on the strong ties of both Pakistan and the US,” held the court.
The lawyers of both Imran and Qureshi also opted to delaying tactics and they started filing application after application to linger on the matter.
The attitude of both Imran Khan and Qureshi was before the court as they both did not sign the copies of the charge sheets as well as on the other relevant copies.
“The defense side was given full opportunity to defend but they did not do so intentionally,” ruled the court.
It may be mentioned here that the Special Court sentenced Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years imprisonment in the cipher case.
