Daily Times

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said Thursday that the contents of the US cypher support party chief Imran Khan’s narrative that his government was deposed under American pressure following his February 2022 visit to Russia.

The statement came after The Intercept, a foreign media outlet, published a report about the secret document that has been at the centre of controversy since March of last year.

The party said in a statement on the microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the then-National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, also rejected the contents of the cypher as interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

The previous NSC meeting decisions were later endorsed by the NSC meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

However, the party laments, “The ruling group denied the existence of the cipher, sometimes calling it meaningless and worthless. Another folly was committed by trying to blame the PTI Chairman for bringing the cipher to the fore.”

“It is necessary that the discussion and criticism on this secret post should be kept in its proper context,” the PTI added.

It should be admitted that there was interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, according to the PTI, adding that interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs resulted in a no-confidence motion against then-Prime Minister Imran Khan.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rejected his predecessor’s claims that his government was removed as part of a US-backed “conspiracy,” asking whether Pakistan would have bought cheaper oil from Russia if the same was true.

The statement came in response to a foreign news organization’s report on the US cypher, which claimed to substantiate former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claims that he was removed under American pressure following his visit to Russia.

Similarly, Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah said there was nothing new in a foreign media outlet’s story about the US cipher, which claimed to substantiate PTI chief’s allegations.

“Though there is nothing new in this story, the investigation needs to held to establish the authenticity of the information or source document,” he said.