Pakistan

Cipher JIT finds material against Imran Khan

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

ISLAMABAD: The JIT probing the cipher issue was nearing the conclusion of its findings but the latest publication of alleged content of the secret cable document in an online American news organisation has forced it to expand its investigation to cover the aspect of the leak to the media.

Informed sources said the JIT is keen to see how and who has leaked the document’s content to the media and whether the content of the cipher, as shared by The Intercept, is original or exaggerated.

These sources hoped that the probe would conclude within a week or 10 days. This correspondent was told that the investigation so far makes a case against former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who is presently in the Attock Jail after having been convicted in the Toshakhana case by an Islamabad district court.

Retention of the cipher copy by the former prime minister, it is said, is an admitted fact. It is an offence, a source said. Twisting and manipulation of the secret document for political gain is also a violation of the law, added the source.

The JIT, which was constituted by the outgoing government of prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, has already interviewed Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Foreign Office officials.

It is said that the JIT may not need to interview anyone else.

The most critical part of the JIT probe pertains to the statement of Azam Khan, ex-principal secretary to the former prime minister, who had told the FIA and also stated before a magistrate that the former PM had used the US cipher for his ‘political gains’ and to avert no-confidence motion against him.

The former bureaucrat, in his confession, said when he provided the ex-premier with the cipher, he was “euphoric” and termed the language a “US blunder”. The former prime minister, according to Azam, then said that the cable could be used for “creating a narrative against establishment and opposition”.

Azam Khan said the US cipher was used in political gatherings by the PTI chairman, despite his advice to him to avoid such acts. Azam Khan said that the former prime minister also told him that the cipher could be used to divert the public’s attention towards “foreign involvement” in the opposition’s no-confidence motion.

Imran Khan had appeared before the JIT last month. He was called again on August 1 to appear before the probe team in the FIA but the PTI chairman avoided joining further probe into the matter.

Former interior minister Rana Sanaullah termed Azam Khan’s statement his “confession” and a charge sheet against Imran Khan. The former interior minister had said that although Imran Khan had told Azam Khan that he lost the cipher, Sanaullah believed that the secret document was still with the PTI chairman.

The interior minister of the Shehbaz government was of the view that Imran Khan should be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act for exposing a secret document and using it for his own political interests to damage the country’s interests and stealing it and taking it into his own possession.

Business

In interbank trade, the Pakistani rupee modestly appreciates versus the US dollar.

Published

2 hours ago

Farwa

In the interbank market, the Pakistani Rupee increased by 0.03% against the US dollar during Monday’s early trading session.

The rupee strengthened by 8 paise against the dollar, reaching 278.48 as of 10:10 a.m. By ending at 278.56, the rupee had lost 9 paise the day before.

Globally, Monday saw a minor decline in the US dollar, but it was still close to its two-year high. In order to obtain additional understanding of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate strategy, traders are anticipating US economic data, namely the December non-farm payrolls report.

The Chinese yuan also garnered notice when, following a strong defense by the People’s Bank of China in December, it dropped below the psychological level of 7.3 per dollar for the first time in 14 months.

Last spotted, the offshore yuan increased by 0.15% to 7.3487 per US dollar, while the onshore yuan fell by 0.05% to 7.3252 per US dollar.

The speeches that various Federal Reserve policymakers are scheduled to give this week, in which they are anticipated to restate their positions on inflation and the continuous fight against price increases, are also attracting market attention.

Expectations of fewer interest rate reduction from the Fed have helped the US dollar gain strength, and last week it reached a two-year high. Meanwhile, the euro fell to its lowest level in more than two years.

Latest News

Drugs worth $1 million are seized by the Pakistan Navy in the North Arabian Sea.

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

Pakistan Navy Ship PNS MOAWIN, according to ISPR, used naval air assets to perform a boarding operation on a suspicious boat and confiscate the drugs that were concealed in the ship’s hidden compartments.

An estimated one million US dollars is the international market value of the narcotics that were seized.

International shipping lanes were being used to deliver this shipment of drugs.

Within the region’s maritime borders, the Pakistan Navy is always engaged in stopping all types of illicit activity, ISPR continued.

A spokesperson for the ANF Headquarters stated that earlier, during seven operations, another security unit of the nation’s anti-narcotics unit (ANF) seized more than 149 kg of drugs valued at more than Rs 40 million and detained four drug dealers.

He reported that 30 capsules containing heroin had been found in the stomach of a traveler at Peshawar International Airport who was headed to Jeddah.

Another operation resulted in the arrest of a suspect after 31 inebriated tablets were found in a package close to an Islamabad park.

150 grams of ice were found in a package that was shipped to Australia via a Karachi courier service.

90 kilograms of opium and 10 kg of heroin that had been concealed for smuggling were found during an operation in the Balochistani district of Chagai.

In the fifth operation, 45 kg of hashish was found in an uninhabited part of Balochistan’s Coastal Line Pasni. Three kilograms of hashish were found in Hyderabad on a suspect.

During the seventh operation, 500 grams of ice and 1 kilogram of heroin were found in the custody of a biker who was stopped close to the Iqbal Shaheed Toll Plaza Attock.

Additional investigations are underway, and cases have been filed under the Narcotics Control Act against the arrested suspect.

Latest News

Outsourcing of Airports: Deputy Prime Minister Commits to Transforming Aviation into a Profitable Sector

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has instructed the implementation of all feasible measures to render aviation a viable industry and to enhance service quality for travelers.

He provided these directives while presiding over a meeting in Islamabad concerning the outsourcing of airports and the advancement of the aviation sector.