Imran Khan’s Ex-Principal Secretary Azam Khan to Become Approver Against Him: CNN News18 Exclusive – News18

Muhammad Azam Khan, the former principal secretary to Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan, is set to become approver against him, according to his confessional statement accessed by CNN News18 which dubs the cypher narrative as conspiracy. On March 8, 2022, then-Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood approached Azam Khan and informed him regarding cypher which was sent to him at his residence on the same evening.

According to the statement, the former Pakistan foreign secretary informed Azam Khan that former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had already discussed the cypher with Imran Khan, which the former confirmed the next day when Azam Khan presented the cypher to him.

Upon seeing the cypher, Imran Khan was reportedly euphoric and termed the language of the document as a US blunder while saying that cypher can now be manipulated for creating a narrative against establishment and opposition. Imran Khan also told Azam Khan that cypher can be used to divert the general public’s attention towards foreign involvement in a no-confidence motion by the opposition.

Thereafter, Imran Khan asked Azam Khan to hand over the cypher to him, which he did, while disregarding regulations for the handling of crypto documentation.

As per the confession of Azam Khan, the cypher copy was retained by Imran Khan and next day (March 10, 2022) when he asked for it Imran Khan replied that he has misplaced it (here may add a video clip of Imran Khan where he says he does not know where cypher copy is).

Azam Khan confessed that Imran Khan said to him that he will display it in front of the public and twist the narrative that a foreign conspiracy is being hatched in collusion with local partners and play the victim card.

Whereupon, Azam Khan advised that Cypher was a secret coded document and its content cannot be disclosed and thereafter suggested a formal meeting with the foreign minister and foreign secretary where they can read the cypher from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) copy (as Imran Khan original copy was still lost) and from minutes of the meeting further decision can be made.

On March 28, this meeting was held at BaniGala, where the foreign secretary read out the cypher from the master copy of MOFA and all discussions and decisions of the meeting were minuted and it was decided to place the matter before the federal cabinet.

On March 30, a special cabinet meeting was held, where representatives of MOFA again read the cypher and briefed the cabinet. It was also minuted. The decision was taken that issue be taken up by the National Security Committee. On March 31, a National Security Committee meeting was held where the above process was again repeated and it was minuted by National Security Division.

As per Azam Khan, all cyphers received from MOFA are returned to JS FSA (rep of MOFA in PM office), however, till he was principal secretary the cypher lost by Imran Khan was not returned as former PM had lost it and despite repeated requests did not return it.