Imran Khan: From Cricket Legend to Political Icon –

Azam Khan not an approver, but a witness against Imran in prosecution.

Title: Azam Khan: Key Witness in Cipher Case Against Imran Khan, Not Approver

In a surprising turn of events, Azam Khan, the former principal secretary of ex-prime minister Imran Khan, is set to play a crucial role as a prosecution witness in the ongoing cipher case against PTI chairman Imran Khan. Despite prior speculation that Khan had become an approver, sources have clarified that he is, in fact, an essential prosecution witness. His statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has already been recorded.

The cipher case, investigated by the FIA, lists Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi as accused parties. The names of Asad Umar and Azam Khan were also included in the FIR, pending evidence against them during the course of the investigation.

Azam Khan, who gained attention earlier this year for his disappearance, accused the ex-prime minister of exploiting a US cipher to fabricate a misleading narrative against the establishment and the opposition at the time. Khan's account revealed that on March 8, 2022, the former foreign secretary informed him about the cipher, which was subsequently delivered to his residence. Khan claimed the foreign secretary disclosed that Shah Mahmood Qureshi, then foreign minister, had already discussed the cipher's contents with Imran Khan. This was corroborated when Azam Khan presented the diplomatic cable to the ex-prime minister the following day.

In a startling allegation, Azam Khan contended that Imran Khan had leveraged the cipher to divert public attention towards a purported foreign involvement in the opposition's no-confidence motion, framing it as a collaborative effort with the establishment. According to Khan's version, Imran planned to showcase the cipher during a public rally, spinning the narrative to portray himself as a victim caught in the web of a foreign conspiracy.

Azam Khan further claimed that he had handed over a copy of the cipher to Imran Khan, but it was never returned. Instead, he was informed that the document had been misplaced.

Imran Khan, in response to questioning by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the cipher issue, stated that he had instructed his military secretary to probe the disappearance of the classified document. Subsequently, Imran Khan was informed that the document could not be located, as relayed to him by the military secretary. However, there was no documented directive from Imran Khan to the military secretary in this regard, as per JIT findings.

During the Toshakhana case trial in an Islamabad sessions court, Imran Khan declared that he had sold gifts received through his military secretary and deemed the military secretary an important figure in the case. He requested the court's intervention to summon the military secretary for testimony. However, neither Imran Khan nor his legal team insisted on the military secretary's appearance in the witness box. Additionally, the four witnesses Imran Khan intended to present in his defense, who were denied by the court, did not include the military secretary's name.

Azam Khan's testimony and the cipher case continue to unravel, shedding light on a complex web of allegations and intrigues involving high-profile figures. As the trial proceeds, the role of key witnesses and the significance of the cipher in shaping public perception hang in the balance.