Islamabad, Jan 25 (PTI) Pakistan’s former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood has said that he had told the Cabinet of former prime minister Imran Khan how declassification of a diplomatic communication from the country’s embassy in Washington can affect relations with the US.
Recording his statement in the cipher case involving Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who also is a senior leader from his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Mahmood said he also advised Khan’s government “to remain engaged with the US.” The cipher case pertains to a piece of paper, purported to be a diplomatic cable — the cipher — that Khan had waved at a public rally on March 27, 2022, and naming the US, had claimed that it was ‘evidence’ of an “international conspiracy” to topple his government.
Khan and Qureshi, accused of mishandling it for political purposes, were indicted in December 2023 and both have pleaded not guilty.
This is the first time that the details of the case are being brought out in the public domain even as Khan and Quereshi continue to face the case along with others bringing no relief to them ahead of the February 8 general elections.
“Purpose of this advice was to protect the relations of Pakistan with an important country and to avoid public and politicised discussion on a secret and privileged communication,” Mahmood told the trial court on Monday, according to The News International, which said it had accessed a copy of his testimony.
The former foreign secretary also shared the details of a cabinet meeting, which was called to discuss “Declassification of cipher telegram” and another meeting held in Banigala residence of the then prime minister.
In the cabinet meeting, held on April 8, Mahmood said he had underlined that “declassification of cipher telegram was neither possible nor advisable in view of the cipher security guidelines, the legal position and the foreign policy implications.” He also told the cabinet that neither there was any past precedent of declassification of cipher nor there was any legal provision in this regard for the primary reason that disclosure of text could compromise the cipher communication system, The News said.
“I also added that it could affect the working of the missions and the ministry as the trust underlying confidential exchanges with foreign interlocutors could be undermined. It could also affect relations with the US and some other countries and strained relations with the US could also complicate matters with multilateral financial institutions.” “After protracted deliberations, it was decided (by the cabinet) to have an in-camera briefing in parliament on the authenticity and salient features of cipher telegram to be provided by the MOFA,” the newspaper said quoting Mahmood’s statement as given before the trial court.
After Khan waved the purported cipher at the public meeting on March 27, 2022, Mahmood said he received an internal note from Pakistan’s Additional Secretary Americas on March 28, 2022 informing him that the latter had been “contacted by the US chargé d’affaires, who had expressed her concerns about the public statement made by the then Prime Minister.” “While forwarding this note to the then foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, I advised that it would be prudent to remain engaged with the US and avoid public acrimony. The purpose of this advice was to protect the relations of Pakistan with an important country and to avoid public and politicised discussion on a secret and privileged communication,” Mahmood further said.
He also claimed that the copy of the controversial cipher had not been returned to the Foreign Ministry office until his retirement on September 29, 2022. PTI NPK AKJ NPK NPK
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