The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's bail application in the cipher case.
The PTI chairman filed this plea recently, and the IHC scheduled it for today's hearing. The notice was issued by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq in response to the plea filed by lawyer Salman Safdar on behalf of Imran Khan.
The legal team representing Imran Khan had been pressing for an early hearing, but the IHC chief justice emphasized the need to follow proper procedures, assuring that the case will be decided accordingly. The FIA has been instructed to provide its response to Imran Khan's petition.
As of now, both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are on judicial remand in the cipher case until September 26.
To provide some context, the ciphergate controversy began in March 2022 when Imran Khan, shortly before his removal from office in April 2022, claimed to possess a letter from a foreign nation, which he described as a cipher, indicating that his government should be removed from power. He did not disclose the letter's contents or the name of the sending nation initially but later named the United States, alleging that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had advocated for his removal.
The situation escalated when it was revealed that Imran Khan's principal secretary, Azam Khan, had provided him with the US cipher and confessed that Khan had used it for his political advantage, attempting to divert attention away from a vote of no-confidence against him. Azam Khan stated that Khan had even used the cipher at political events to create a narrative against the establishment and opposition.
The case has gained significance due to these developments, with investigations continuing into the alleged misuse of the cipher for political purposes.
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