Asad Umar granted pre-arrest bail in cipher case

• No proof discovered of Umar’s involvement in cipher case: prosecutor.
• Choose directs FIA to tell Umar beforehand if his arrest required in case.
• Pre-arrest bail accepted towards surety bond of Rs50,000. 

ISLAMABAD: A particular court docket established underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act has accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Asad Umar’s bail in a case associated to US cipher after a prosecutor advised the decide that his arrest was not required at this stage.

Choose Abul Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain performed the listening to on the PTI chief’s plea searching for pre-arrest bail within the cipher case associated to the diplomatic cable that the PTI claimed contained proof of US involvement within the ouster of the Imran Khan-led authorities in April final yr.

“Asad Umar’s arrest shouldn’t be required within the case as but and no proof towards him has been gathered but,” Particular Prosecutor Shah Khawar advised the decide.

He additional mentioned that Umar would be told if investigators gathered any proof towards him within the ongoing investigation into the cipher case.

To which, PTI counsel Babar Awan urged the decide to approve Umar’s bail within the case following the prosecution’s response.

After the prosecutor’s assertion, the decide accepted the PTI chief’s bail towards the surety bond of Rs50,000.

Choose Zulqarnain additionally famous that Umar expressed willingness to affix the cipher probe however the prosecution didn’t examine him within the case.

“If Asad Umar’s arrest is required, the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] will proceed in line with regulation,” the decide ordered.

He additionally directed the FIA to tell the PTI chief upfront earlier than arresting him within the case.

Final month, the FIA booked PTI chief Imran Khan and the celebration’s vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing categorized doc for vested political pursuits.

“Consequent upon the conclusion of the enquiry No. 111/2023 dated 05.10.2022, registered within the CTW, FIA Islamabad, it transpired that former prime minister particularly Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, former international minister particularly Shah Mahmood Qureshi and their different associates are concerned in communications of data contained within the secret categorized doc (Cipher Telegram acquired from Parep. Washington dated seventh March, 2022 to Secretary Ministry of International Affairs) to the unauthorised individual (i.e. public at giant) by twisting the information to attain their ulterior motives and private positive aspects in a way prejudicial to the pursuits of state safety,” learn first data report (FIR) registered towards the PTI leaders.

Subsequently, each leaders have been arrested in reference to the investigation into the case and a particular court docket was established underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act to attempt the accused.

A day earlier, the particular court docket prolonged Imran and Qureshi’s judicial remand until September 26 within the cipher case. 

Cable gate

The controversy first emerged on March 27, 2022, when Khan — simply days earlier than his ouster in April 2022 — brandished a letter, claiming that it was a cipher from a international nation, which talked about that his authorities must be faraway from energy.

He didn’t reveal the contents of the letter nor point out the identify of the nation that had despatched it. However just a few days later, he named the USA and mentioned that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removing.

The cipher was about former Pakistan ambassador to the US Asad Majeed’s assembly with Lu.

The previous prime minister, claiming that he was studying contents from the cipher, mentioned that “all will likely be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is faraway from energy”.

Then on March 31, the Nationwide Safety Committee (NSC) took up the matter and determined to problem a “robust demarche” to the nation for its “blatant interference within the inside affairs of Pakistan”.

Later, after his removing, then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif convened one other assembly of the NSC, which got here to the conclusion that it had discovered no proof of a international conspiracy within the cipher.

The cipher case towards the previous premier grew to become severe after his principal secretary Azam Khan acknowledged earlier than a Justice of the Peace in addition to the Federal Investigation Company (FIA) that the previous PM had used the US cipher for his “political positive aspects” and to avert a vote of no-confidence towards him.

The previous bureaucrat, in his confession, mentioned when he offered the ex-premier with the cipher, he was “euphoric” and termed the language a “US blunder”. The previous prime minister, in line with Azam, then mentioned that the cable might be used for “making a narrative towards institution and opposition”.

Azam mentioned the US cipher was utilized in political gatherings by the PTI chairman, regardless of his recommendation to him to keep away from such acts. He talked about that the previous prime minister additionally advised him that the cipher might be used to divert the general public’s consideration in the direction of “international involvement” within the opposition’s no-confidence movement.