In a twist of events, the much-discussed 7th March 2022 cipher, received by the Foreign Ministry from the-then Pakistani ambassador to the US, remains shrouded in controversy as sources indicate it was never declassified.
The PTI and its legal team assert the declassification of the cipher, but FIA sources, who probed the case, state otherwise, having scrutinized cabinet meeting records. It appears that despite discussions on declassification during the waning days of the Imran Khan government, it was never officially sanctioned. This revelation comes after Imran Khan publicly displayed the cipher's copy in a rally.
The Foreign Ministry staunchly opposed the idea of declassification, a sentiment echoed by the Law Ministry. Despite opposition, the cabinet approved providing a copy of the cipher to select high-profile individuals, including the President, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Speaker National Assembly, and Chairman Senate.
The proposal for declassification was initially discussed on March 30, 2022, just days after Imran Khan's public display of the cipher. The cabinet meeting on the 30th of March decided against declassification. Subsequently, in an in-camera meeting the following day, the cabinet approved providing the copy to specific functionaries.
The PTI and its legal team maintain that the cipher was declassified by the entire cabinet, challenging the secrecy of the information contained within. Shah Khawar, senior lawyer and head of the prosecution team, contradicts this claim, emphasizing that the cipher was never declassified.
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