Asad Majeed Affirms: No Mention of ‘Conspiracy’ Found in Cipher, Informs the Court

Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed, who wrote the ‘cipher’ that ex-PM Imran Khan claimed contained threat, has informed a trial court that there was no reference to the words “threat” or “conspiracy” in the diplomatic cable.

Majeed recorded his statement before the trial court being held in Adiala Jail on Tuesday where he said that he had suggested that a demarche should be issued to the US both in Islamabad and Washington.

The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that reportedly went missing from Khan’s possession. The PTI alleges that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from office because of his stance on Russia.

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Majeed was the ambassador to the US when the cipher controversy started and the PTI made allegations against America.

He said that he invited Assistant Secretary for South & Central Asian Affairs under US States Department Donald Lu on March 7, 2022, for a luncheon.

It was a preplanned lunch hosted by himself in the Pakistan House in Washington for the US team dealing with Pakistan, which was scheduled, at about 1230hrs, it said.

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Last year, Majeed became another witness in the cypher case against PTI chief Imran Khan, citing that the latter’s affairs about the diplomatic cable affected Pakistan’s image.

“The PTI chairman’s cypher affair damaged Pakistan’s communication system,” he said in his statement recorded before the court. “It has also affected the credibility of our diplomats and their future diplomacy.”

On December 22, the Supreme Court approved the bail petitions of former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cypher case.

A three-member SC bench led by acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Sardar Tariq Masood heard the case. Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah were the other two members of the bench.

The bench later issued a nine-page order adding that the SC decision would not influence the trial court and the bail could be cancelled by the trial court if it so wished.