Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan indicted in cipher case: A look into charges and timeline

Cipher, in simple terms, is a secret, restricted diplomatic communication written in a code language, with specific numbers and dates assigned to it. Deeply encrypted and challenging to decode, cipher documents are categorised into grades I and II, with the former having limited circulation compared to the latter. These documents are machine-generated based on the distribution list, and making copies of them is against the law. The original copies are stored at the Foreign Office.

The cipher case revolves around Khan’s speech and the public display of a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally following his ouster in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022. Khan claimed that the document, known as Cipher, was proof of a US-backed conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan’s military establishment. However, the content of this letter has not been made public either by the government or Khan’s legal team. The case alleges that Khan violated secret laws by revealing state secrets through his actions.

Imran Khan was arrested in August for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic communication sent to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington in March last year.

Imran Khan alleged that the US had pressed Pakistan’s military to orchestrate his government’s fall due to his visit to Russia shortly before its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

The charges of revealing state secrets in the Cypher case carry severe penalties, ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty in extreme cases, as per one of Imran Khan’s defence lawyers, Umair Niazi, a Times of India report mentioned.

Both Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was also indicted in the Cipher case, have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Qureshi was named as the main offender in the cypher case in a chargesheet submitted by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), a Dawn report added.

Notably, the case against Imran Khan comes at a time when he was barred from contesting national elections for five years due to his previous conviction in corruption cases. In August, he was convicted in a separate corruption case, where he was sentenced to three years in jail for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

Despite Imran Khan’s claims of a US conspiracy, both American and Pakistani officials have denied any involvement in the collapse of his government.

August 30: An FIR was filed against Imran Khan and Qureshi for violating Official Secrets Act. Their judicial custody was extended till September 13 and then till September 26.

September 30: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) filed the chargesheet in the special court naming Qureshi as the principal accused in the cipher case.

October 17: The special court adjourned the indictment hearing after Imran Khan’s lawyer raised an objection that they were not provided with a copy of the charge sheet.

October 23: A special court established under the Official Secrets Act indicted Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

October 26: The Islamabad High Court rejected Khan's petition challenging his indictment in the case.