On Wednesday, in a purported audio leak of former premier Imran Khan and his principal secretary Azam Khan discussing the diplomatic cypher, the two were heard talking about it.
The purported audio file begins midway through a conversation between two people and is titled ‘Story of the cypher conspiracy part 1’.
The audio clip, reportedly recorded by Azam, reportedly shows the PTI chief asking Azam to play with America’s name and then asking the Azam aide to advise on the issue first.
“The second voice then added that ‘whatever Qureshi (then FM) reads out in the meeting, ‘will be changed in the copy’ and ‘I will make the minutes that the foreign secretary has prepared this’.
According to the voice, the analysis would be conducted and converted into minutes “as we want” so that “it becomes part of the record”. It won’t be like they will draft the minutes themselves, because the minutes will be under my hand.
He is then asked by a voice, allegedly of Imran, who else would be attending the meeting, besides the two of them, Qureshi and (foreign secretary) Sohail.
“That is all,” his query is met with an affirmative, “Yes.” “Tomorrow only, let’s do this,” alleged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan supposedly replies.
“We need to do this so things are on the record. The consulate is for the state. When he is reading it out loud, I will copy it down so it is on record that this thing really did happen,” Azam explains further.
He then suggests that Imran should call the foreign secretary so the issue is also on the bureaucratic record.
“We don’t have a copy so how did they pick it up?” questions Azam to which the voice attributed to Imran says “anyhow, if this is present then lets make it into a foreign conspiracy”.