IHC all set to hear PTI chief’s plea challenging cypher inquiry

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on Tuesday will hear the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman’s plea, seeking to declare the FIA inquiry into the cypher episode as null and void.

The PTI has filed a petition in the IHC, challenging the FIA inquiry into the cypher episode.

The cypher episode is a political controversy that has been roiling Pakistan since the former prime minister Imran Khan claimed that he had received a secret document from a foreign source that exposed a conspiracy to overthrow his government.

The document, which Khan called a cypher, was allegedly a coded message that contained names of politicians and top officials who were allegedly involved in the plot.

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Khan said he had given the cypher to his former principal secretary Azam Khan for safekeeping, but later it was reported that the document had gone missing from the Prime Minister’s House.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched an inquiry into the matter and summoned Azam Khan and other officials for questioning.

However, Khan and his party, the PTI challenged the FIA’s jurisdiction and accused the agency of being biased and influenced by the opposition parties.

Khan filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to declare the FIA inquiry as null and void and to stop the agency from harassing his aides. The IHC has scheduled a hearing of Khan’s petition on Tuesday (tomorrow).