The FIA submits the case under the Official Secrets Act to a special court, seeking trial and punishment for those involved.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 30th, 2023) The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday named PTI chairman and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a former foreign minister and senior party leader, as responsible for the cipher saga.
The FIA submitted the case under the Official Secrets Act to a special court, seeking trial and punishment for those involved.
Notably, Asad Umar was not implicated in the case, while Azam Khan, the former principal secretary to the prime minister at the time, has become an approver.
Azam Khan's statements, recorded under Sections 161 and 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, have been included in the case.
The challan presented by the FIA alleges that the PTI chairman held onto the cipher and misused a state secret by failing to return it after receiving a copy of the document.
This development follows previous reports that denied any deal between the establishment and the PTI, as the former ruling party sought concessions after the May 9 fallout.
The sources emphasize that those responsible for the events of May 9 will face legal consequences, reiterating statements made by military leadership under Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
In a related development earlier this week, prosecution submitted challans in 11 separate cases, including the Jinnah House attack, before an anti-terrorism court in Lahore.
The state is actively pursuing the planners and executors of the May 9 incidents, with individuals such as the PTI chairman, former Punjab governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, ex-health minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and Khadija Shah among those named in these cases. The cases also involve the targeting of Askari Tower and the torching of a police station at Shadman.
