Daily Times

The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, has been sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment by a special court in the Cipher case. The special court under the Official Secrets Act stated that Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi violated their oath as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, causing harm to Pakistan-United States relations, and deliberately speaking lies. The court emphasized that Cipher was misused for personal gain, affecting the trust between the US and Pakistan. The detailed judgment highlighted Cipher’s sensitive documents, influencing bilateral relations. Witnesses’ testimonies and lawyers’ conduct during the trial were discussed; pointing out instances of misconduct.

The court stated that Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi disrupted Pakistan’s political, social, economic, and foreign relations through their actions. The purpose of penning all this down, detailing the Cipher case and the final decision is to highlight the sensitive documents’ political misuse and the impact on Pakistan’s global standing.

Detailed decisions have stated that the Cipher is a very sensitive document, from which the trust between the United States and Pakistan is also affected. According to Court Testimonies of 25 witnesses recorded, during the hearing, lawyers of Pti displayed non-seriousness and used tactics to delay the decision.

Pakistan has already suffered a lot from this politics of hatred.

On January 27, Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood’s lawyers were absent, and the government lawyer was present. The founder of PTI and Shah Mehmood Qureshi misbehaved with the government lawyer and threw files when asked for cross-examination, their lawyers refused. After that, the public prosecutor cross-examined.

Judge Abu AlHassanat Zulqarnain said that the case against the founder of PTI Imran Khan under the Official Secrets Act 1923 Section 5 was established.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi was well aware of Cipher’s sensitivity; on March 27, 2022, he also addressed the PTI Gathering before Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. Ex Foreign Minister was also charged under the Official Secrets Act 1923 Section 5 and PPC 34, PTI founder and Shah Mahmood Qureshi didn’t deserve sympathy, as the criminals’ actions have affected Pakistan’s political, social, economic, and foreign relations.

The purpose of explaining all the details of the case and the detailed decision of the cypher is that the former prime minister used a sensitive document for his political objectives according to the court and he did not consider that his actions were causing so much harm to Pakistan’s image in the world. They kept blaming Cipher for the end of their government. When it was said in court that Cipher should be presented, they said it was just a piece of paper.

Sometimes they blamed America, sometimes PML-N, sometimes London conspiracy plan and sometimes General Bajwa was responsible for the end of their government.

When Ex ex-prime minister was in power, they used to say that ISI had the right to tap phones and keep a check on the government, but when they left the government, they started tarnishing the image of their own country’s agency. They continued to call their rivals thieves and robbers, addressing them as thieves and dacoits, but He was involved in the theft of Toshakhana and was sentenced. A reference was filed against the current Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in his government and later he denied that the reference was not filed by me but came from somewhere else?Imran Khan was also corrupt at the same time and by blaming it on others, he was also creating a pretence of piety in front of his followers.

The judge of the Accountability Court, Muhammad Bashir, declared him guilty in the Toshakhana case and declared his wife equally guilty to him, this is the same judge when he sentenced Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield reference. It was heard that the same judge was declared a hero by Imran Khan at that time. Today, through the social media wings of PTI, a heinous campaign is being conducted against the said judge?PTI founder Imran Khan now has time in jail so he should think about where he made mistakes while in power.

Now let’s take a look at the General Elections at this time, political parties are holding rallies and processions but at the same time they are promoting the politics of hatred and political leaders are making the same accusations that such and such leaders are thieves, looters and for the country.

It is dangerous if someone says that the country cannot develop without so and so leader. Pakistan has already suffered a lot from this politics of hatred, and now this politics should end. Second, the political parties will have to establish discipline within themselves because we are observing that during the election campaigns, the candidates of the political parties are flouting the electoral rules and blaming each other, but at the same time they are also being guilty of violating their party discipline?

If an MPA of a political party does not like his own MNA, then he is hypocritically supporting the MNA of the rival political party. If it is not possible publicly he is also conspiring with his rival to defeat a candidate of his party and the Election Commission is also silent on this. I understand that political parties need to establish discipline within themselves, and the Election Commission should also act on its code of conduct so that people do not become averse to Pakistan’s politics.

The writer is an old Aitchisonian who believes in freedom of expression, a freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist.