Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood acquitted in cipher case

In a major relief to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday acquitted party founder Imran Khan and vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

The short verdict was announced by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb after accepting the acquittal pleas by the accused.

However, Mr Khan and Mr Qureshi will remain behind bars due to their sentences in the Iddat case and May 9 riots cases, respectively.

Background:

The cipher controversy arose in a public gathering on March 27, 2022, when the ex-premier had pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it at the crowd, claiming that it was evidence of an "international conspiracy" being hatched to topple his government.

At the time, Mr Khan did not reveal the name of the alleged conspirators.

But a few days later, he claimed that the conspiracy against him was hatched by the United States through Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu.

The cipher was about the meeting between former Pakistan ambassador to the US Asad Majeed and Lu, in which the latter allegedly threatened the former of removing Khan from the office.

Later, the PTI founder alleged that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), led by PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, and other parties, was also involved in the conspiracy.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) then booked Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi under Sections 5 (wrongful communication of information) and 9 (attempt to commit or abet the commission of an offence under this Secrets Act) of the Official Secrets Act.

Earlier in January this year, a special court, established under the Official Secrets Act 2023, sentenced the former prime minister and his close aide to ten years in rigorous prison in the diplomatic cable case.