Daily Times

A team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has investigated PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Attock Jail in the US cipher case.

The former prime minister was also questioned about the alleged disappearance of the cipher. A private news channel quoting sources reported that the FIA cybercrime team under the leadership of Deputy Director Ayaz investigated Imran Khan. The suspect was questioned for more than an hour regarding the illegal use and disappearance of the cipher.

Imran Khan is serving a sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case, awarded by the sessions court of Islamabad.

An FIR was registered against him, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other party leaders under the Official Secrets Act and the PPC over illegal use of and misplacement of the cipher.

According to the FIR, the case was registered against the PTI chairman and Qureshi on August 15 over the alleged misplacement of a diplomatic cable from the US under sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 read with Section 34 of the PPC. The FIR was registered on the application of Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar.

On March 27, 2022, ahead of a vote of no-trust that resulted in his ouster, the PTI chief had pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it at the crowd attending a massive public meeting in Islamabad, claiming it was evidence of an “international conspiracy” being hatched to topple his government.

Last month, Qureshi and senior PTI leader Asad Umar appeared before FIA-led joint investigation team (JIT) that is probing an alleged manipulation of a classified diplomatic cypher during the PTI rule. The JIT is carrying out an investigation on the direction of the former cabinet which alleges that former prime minister Imran Khan, his associates including Qureshi and his former principal secretary prejudiced the national security and interest of the state by directly revealing classified information-a diplomatic cypher-without proper authorisation.