Former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood, in his statement to the special court hearing the cipher cases, has said that former premier Imran Khan was informed that there was no precedent for the declassification of the secret document.
In his written statement, he said that on April 8, 2022, a cabinet meeting took place with the presence of the cabinet secretary, the law secretary, and himself as the foreign secretary. During the meeting, Mahmood emphasised that cipher security guidelines permit sharing the cipher telegram only with authorised individuals. He added that after the meeting, a decision was made to brief the parliament in a closed session.
The former foreign secretary also stated that the additional secretary of the US sent a note, expressing concerns by the American authorities regarding Imran’s cipher. Mahmood testified in the cipher case and recorded his statement mentioning his appointment as the foreign secretary in March 2022. On March 8, 2022, he contacted the Pakistani ambassador in Washington, who informed him about a meeting with the US secretary of state for South and Central Asia. The deputy head of mission and defence attache was also in that meeting. He detailed that the ambassador explained the matter’s sensitivity and informed him about sending a cipher to the foreign ministry. Upon receiving a copy of the cipher, he categorised it as confidential for the exclusive use of the foreign secretary. Copies were distributed with strict instructions not to circulate, ensuring that only the secretary of state possessed them. The distribution of the cipher copy was approved with instructions to seal it in a top-secret envelope.
Regarding subsequent events, Mahmood stated that during a meeting on March 27, 2022, former prime minister Imran presented a letter. On March 28, an internal note was received from the US secretary of state expressing concern about Imran’s public statement.
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