By Irum Saleem
Donald Lu’s testimony before Congress not only establishes cipher’s reality but proves Imran Khan true, PTI says.
“Prosecuting PTI founder under Official Secrets Act after declassifying cipher unjustifiable,” thr Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) says and made it clear that the testimony of the US Assistant Secrtary of State Donald Lu regarding existence of cipher before the US Congress Foreign Affairs Committee did not only establish the veracity and reality of the diplomatic cable but it also proved the honesty and truthfulness of PTI Chairman-for-life Imran Khan.
PTI senior leader Khalid Khurshid and Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha said that Donald Lu accepted the reality and existence of the cipher but only disagreed with its contents.
They said that PTI Founding Chairman didn’t lie anything pertaining to the cipher. PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan stated that Imran Khan was being unjustly prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act that he made the cipher public. However, he pleaded that in reality cipher was no more a secret document because when it was presented before the then cabinet, it was declassified.
Moreover, he recalled that a copy of the diplomatic cipher was sent to the then Speaker of the National Assembly, the President and the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, adding that Imran Khan even demanded formation of an independent judicial commission to probe the matter.
Raoof said that Donald had lied before the US Congressional hearing that the then Pakistan ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed had testified before his own government that there was no conspiracy.
However, PTI CIS recalled that Asad Majeed admitted before two National Security Committee meetings one chaired by the then prime minister Imran Khan and second one by Shehbaz Sharif that was the reason it was decided to demarche the US for its grave interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
He stated that even the second NSC meeting endorsed the minutes of the first NSC meeting and termed the diplomatic cable as a grave interference in Pakistan’s affairs.
Moreover, he pleaded that the cipher remained no more a secret or a classified documents since its contents was published by the US journal The Intercept, wherein it was said that the US administration was upset over Imran Khan’s visit to Russia and warned Pakistan of severe consequences, signalling that things will better if he was removed from power.
“I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister otherwise it will be tough going ahead,” Raoof quoted Donald Lu as telling to Majeed.
He stated that questions raised over Imran Khan’s visit to Russia and warned of consequences, which showed that his stance was based on reality.
PTI CIS went on to say that the US Congress was holding an open public hearing on the cipher because there was real democracy thus they discussed everything so openly and clearly.
Moreover, Raoof Hasan stated that Donald Lu also admitted openly that US exerting pressure on Pakistani government to impede work on Pak-Iran gas pipeline, which the government denied sine long.
About polls fraud, PTI SIC stated that Donald Lu faced harsh questions pertaining to mega polls robbery and midnight assault on public mandate, wherein the clear winners were converted into losers through results manipulation and tampering.
Speaking on the occasion, Khalid Khurshid made it clear that Prime Minister Imran Khan took a firm stand against the US’s interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs as he did not surrender before the US like Pervez Musharraf.
He demanded an open trial of the cipher case and general Bajwa and Majeed should be summoned and asked as how a person could threaten a country 25 crore population of severe consequences if they did not remove their elected prime minister.
PTI senior leader stated that the US congress was holding open hearing on cipher and an American journalist published the entire contents of the letter despite that fact that it was said relations with the US deteriorated because of the cipher but ironically it was crime to talk about the diplomatic cable in Pakistan.
Khalid Khursheed stressed: “It is a turning point and we need to accept the reality and as a nation should take a unified passion to in order bring the facts regarding cipher to the fore.
“We hope that we will get justice from our courts because Imran Khan is innocent,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Naeem Panjutha said that Imran Khan was falsely implicated in cipher case instead of taking actions of real culprits who conspired against him were no sitting in the parliament.
He stated that all the cases of Imran Khan was heard behind the close-doors only because to target him, adding that PTI Founding Chairman could not be tried in the case under a foreign secret act since all it was a declassified documents.
PTI leader said that Asad Majid appeared before the NSC meetings twice and admitted the cipher due to which the US was later demarched. PAK DESTINY
