Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) might arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan if he fails to cooperate with their investigation into the cypher.
His remarks comes after Azam Khan, then-principal secretary of Imran, reportedly recorded a statement in which he said the former prime minister allegedly used the diplomatic cypher for his political interest.
In a tweet today, Sanaullah said the FIA has summoned the PTI chairman on July 25 in the cipher investigation.
“If he does not cooperate during the inquiry stage, he could face possible arrest. Following the investigation, the FIA will make recommendations based on evidence regarding those who are complicit and against whom criminal cases should be filed,” he said.
Read: Cypher probe: FIA summons PTI chief on July 25
In a presser on Wednesday, Sanaullah said that Azam’s statements proves that the PTI chief was primarily responsible for the cipher conspiracy that adversely affected Pakistan’s diplomatic ties and economy.
Sanaullah said Imran deliberately used the cipher to build a narrative against the then-opposition.
“Taking a U-turn, now Imran claims that the cipher has been lost,” he said.
The interior minister, however, said that the original cipher is still with the PTI chief, and he should be prosecuted for keeping a secret document in private possession.
On Wednesday, former prime minister Imran Khan’s then-principal secretary Azam Khan reportedly recorded a statement under Section 164 CrPC in which he maintained that Imran used a diplomatic cypher for his alleged political interest by creating a narrative against the establishment and the then-opposition.
Read: PTI chief created ‘cypher drama’ for political gains, says Azam Khan
He said that on March 8, 2022, the foreign secretary approached Azam and informed him about the cypher sent to him at his residence on the same evening.
As per the statement, the foreign secretary informed Azam that former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had already discussed the cypher with the PTI chairman which Imran confirmed the next day when Azam presented the cypher to him.
According to Azam’s confession, when Imran learned of the cipher, he was “euphoric” and called it a “US blunder.”
