The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday deferred proceedings on the appeals against the conviction of former prime minister Imran Khan and former Federal Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

The court presided over by Chief Justice Aamir Farooq alongside Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, witnessed a fervent exchange of arguments from both sides.

During the proceedings, Chief Justice Aamir Farooq raised a question regarding the weightage of Azam Khan's testimony, a central figure in the case. The Chief Justice queried whether Khan's statement held significance, hinting at the complexity surrounding the accountability of key witnesses.

Representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founders, Barrister Salman Safdar and his legal team articulated their arguments meticulously.

Safdar initiated his discourse by addressing the intricacies of the charges against Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. He underscored the alleged mishandling of the cipher and emphasized the role of Azam Khan, the former principal secretary, in its security.

Amidst the legal deliberations, the court sought clarification on the protocol surrounding the handling of sensitive documents within government offices, particularly the Prime Minister's Office.

Questions arose regarding the procedures in place for the safeguarding and documentation of such crucial paperwork.

In response to queries from the bench, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) lawyers elaborated on the timeline of events surrounding the receipt and transmission of the cipher.

They highlighted the protocols in place for the preservation of official documents and emphasised the gravity of their disappearance.

The case

The term "cipher" has taken center stage in Pakistani politics again after a special court established under the Official Secrets Act sentenced on Tuesday former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years in jail in what has become a high-profile "cipher case."

This case revolves around a diplomatic document allegedly mishandled by Imran Khan, with claims suggesting it contained a threat from the United States to remove him from office.

Former premier's claims triggered controversy following Khan's assertions of a conspiracy against him. The special court recently resumed the Cipher trial at Adiala district jail, indicting Imran and Qureshi for the second time on December 13.

What is cipher?

A cipher, in this context, refers to a secret method of writing sensitive messages in coded language. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) alleged that Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi disclosed the cipher of a sensitive diplomatic document under the Official Secrets Act.

The document, encrypted and difficult to decode, reportedly contained details of a meeting between US State Department officials and the then Pakistani ambassador, Asad Majeed Khan.

The controversial document outlined a meeting on March 7, 2022, between US officials and Asad Majeed Khan. The complete text remains undisclosed under the Official Secrets Act, but The Intercept reproduced a section, revealing a threatening message sent by the US through Pakistan's envoy.

This revelation coincided with political moves against Imran, culminating in his ousting after a successful no-confidence vote.

Imran's allegations and US denials

Imran first spoke about the secret document on March 27, 2022, presenting it at a gathering in Islamabad as evidence of an international conspiracy against him.

He later claimed that the US had sent a threatening message through Pakistan's envoy. The US State Department has repeatedly denied encouraging Pakistani officials to remove Imran from office.