IHC Expresses Views On Cipher case

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has stated that in their understanding, former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi did not disclose the contents of a diplomatic cipher in their famous speeches on March 27, 2022.

During the hearing of their appeals against the conviction in the diplomatic cipher case, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb made this observation on Wednesday.

Read more: FIA Challenges Cypher Conviction Appeal Rights

On January 30, a special court sentenced the former PM and FM to 10 years in prison each under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), 1923, for misusing a diplomatic cipher telegram during the final days of the PTI’s government.

Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the appellants, presented additional arguments against the special court’s verdict during Wednesday’s hearing. He pointed out that the cipher was never disclosed during the public rally and that the judgment was pronounced before Qureshi’s statement.

Safdar argued that the laws were designed for the country’s enemies but were being misused against political adversaries. He emphasized that a wrongful case was made against Imran and Qureshi, as no copies of the cipher were recovered from them.

The court adjourned the hearing, instructing Safdar to continue his arguments the following day.