LAHORE: A top Pakistani court on Tuesday suspended summons for ousted prime minister Imran khan by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FIA) in an investigation into audio leaks related to the ‘cypher’ controversy and has been seeking answers since before December 19.
Khan on Monday challenged the government investigation against him in the ‘cryptographic’ controversy at Lahore High Court (LHC), in which the FIA summoned him on December 6 to record his statement.
“LHC Justice Asjad Javed Ghural has dismissed the registrar’s objection to the ability to maintain the petition of Pakistan Director Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) countered the FIA’s summons notice.
“The judge, upon hearing the arguments of Khan’s defense attorney, Salman Safdar, suspended the FIA’s notice and directed the agency to respond to the complaint by December 19,” a court official said. told PTI after the hearing.
Ghural Justice has treated Khan’s petition as a “case of protest”.
The FIA has begun an investigation into Khan’s audio leaks related to US cryptography. In the clip that appeared last September, Khan, chief secretary Azam Khan and former minister Asad Umar are said to have been heard discussing how to “play with the cypher” to give the impression of a foreign conspiracy and build build a story.
The controversial Diplomatic Code refers to a confidential communication to the Pakistani government from then-Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed during his meeting with senior State Department official Donald Lu, in which he is said to have sought to depose Khan as prime minister.
The United States has repeatedly denied Khan’s accusations that it had any role in ousting him from the post of prime minister in April after he lost a vote of no confidence in Parliament.
The government of Shehbaz Sharif has taken note of the matter and established a commission to investigate the contents of the audio leak. Later, the cabinet also approved legal action against those involved in the matter.
FIA also summoned PTI vice president and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and former finance minister Asad Umar in the case.
In his petition, Khan said the FIA had initiated an investigation into an alleged audio leak involving diplomatic ciphers received from abroad.
“The alleged recording released by the federal government not only jeopardizes the security of a high-ranking office like the prime minister, but also flagrantly violates the basic rights of the petitioner,” Khan said.
He said the sound leak problem had been tested before Supreme Court.
Khan said the FIA’s investigation was “politically motivated, initiated with the sole purpose of twisting and harassing me”.
He called on the court to annul the illegal summons by claiming that it was issued without authority. Khan requested: “The court should drop the baseless investigation and give it earlier notice in the interest of justice as no wrongdoing has been pointed out against the petitioner.
The former prime minister, who was ousted through a motion of no confidence last April, has claimed that the opposition’s move of no confidence was part of a “foreign-sponsored conspiracy” brooded against his government because of his refusal to adopt Pakistani foreign policy. foreign influence (USA).
Khan on Monday challenged the government investigation against him in the ‘cryptographic’ controversy at Lahore High Court (LHC), in which the FIA summoned him on December 6 to record his statement.
“LHC Justice Asjad Javed Ghural has dismissed the registrar’s objection to the ability to maintain the petition of Pakistan Director Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) countered the FIA’s summons notice.
“The judge, upon hearing the arguments of Khan’s defense attorney, Salman Safdar, suspended the FIA’s notice and directed the agency to respond to the complaint by December 19,” a court official said. told PTI after the hearing.
Ghural Justice has treated Khan’s petition as a “case of protest”.
The FIA has begun an investigation into Khan’s audio leaks related to US cryptography. In the clip that appeared last September, Khan, chief secretary Azam Khan and former minister Asad Umar are said to have been heard discussing how to “play with the cypher” to give the impression of a foreign conspiracy and build build a story.
The controversial Diplomatic Code refers to a confidential communication to the Pakistani government from then-Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed during his meeting with senior State Department official Donald Lu, in which he is said to have sought to depose Khan as prime minister.
The United States has repeatedly denied Khan’s accusations that it had any role in ousting him from the post of prime minister in April after he lost a vote of no confidence in Parliament.
The government of Shehbaz Sharif has taken note of the matter and established a commission to investigate the contents of the audio leak. Later, the cabinet also approved legal action against those involved in the matter.
FIA also summoned PTI vice president and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and former finance minister Asad Umar in the case.
In his petition, Khan said the FIA had initiated an investigation into an alleged audio leak involving diplomatic ciphers received from abroad.
“The alleged recording released by the federal government not only jeopardizes the security of a high-ranking office like the prime minister, but also flagrantly violates the basic rights of the petitioner,” Khan said.
He said the sound leak problem had been tested before Supreme Court.
Khan said the FIA’s investigation was “politically motivated, initiated with the sole purpose of twisting and harassing me”.
He called on the court to annul the illegal summons by claiming that it was issued without authority. Khan requested: “The court should drop the baseless investigation and give it earlier notice in the interest of justice as no wrongdoing has been pointed out against the petitioner.
The former prime minister, who was ousted through a motion of no confidence last April, has claimed that the opposition’s move of no confidence was part of a “foreign-sponsored conspiracy” brooded against his government because of his refusal to adopt Pakistani foreign policy. foreign influence (USA).
