Cipher case: IHC seeks detailed report of Azam Khan kidnapping case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), hearing the cipher case, sought a detailed report of the kidnapping case of former principal secretary Azam Khan.

A special bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, on Tuesday, heard the appeals moved by the former prime minister and ex-foreign minister against their convictions in the cipher case.

The bench also directed the prosecution to submit a detailed report of the case of the kidnapping of Azam Khan with verified documents and signed by Advocate General Islamabad.

At the onset of the hearing, the FIA prosecutor, Hamid Ali Shah, read out the charges framed against PTI founder Imran Khan, saying he did not return the cipher copy to the Foreign Ministry and kept the copy of the cipher which he was supposed to return.

The prosecutor said Azam Khan admitted that his staff gave cipher’s copy to the premier, adding according to Azam Khan, the prime minister kept the cipher’s copy and did not return it.

Justice Aamer asked whether the cipher’s copy reached Azam Khan. “It must have been given to the prime minister. The founder of PTI never refused to receive the cipher’s copy and the postal details of the cipher’s copy reaching Azam Khan must be available but is there any evidence of the cipher reaching from the prime minister to Azam Khan,” he asked. The prosecutor replied that everything was available and these details were present in the in and out registers.

Then, the bench asked for a report related to the case registered after the disappearance of Azam Khan, saying whether it has been discharged or challan has been presented or what has happened. It directed to submit a complete report in this regard.

The FIA prosecutor said that the founder of PTI made a speech in a public gathering on March 27 and he admitted that the document he had was a cipher.

The IHC chief justice asked if I pick up a piece of paper and say that it is an FIR, will you accept it? The prosecutor replied that I have no right even to deny it, My Lord.

Justice Miangul Hassan said they are hearing the case under criminal law and they have to look at it very strictly. He added that it was a speech of a politician in a rally and how can they believe it? He further said that a politician’s statement in a rally is to get support and if he is showing something from his pocket in the rally, how can they accept it as a cipher?

Later, the bench deferred hearing of the case till May 2 for further proceedings.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024