In a recent vlog on his YouTube channel, the journalist said that the latest amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Law were aimed at providing protection and security to Azam Khan so that he could conveniently become an approver against former premier Imran Khan.
He said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) summoned Imran Khan on July 25 in the ‘cypher-gate’ scandal after Azam Khan recorded his statement saying former premier Imran Khan used a diplomatic cypher for his alleged political interest by creating a narrative against the establishment and the then opposition. On the other hand, Asad Umer and Shah Mehmood Qureshi will also appear before the FIA to record their statement.
The development comes as the federal government announced an official inquiry into the 'cypher-gate' case to initiate proceedings against the PTI chairman for violating the Official Secrets Act by making the classified document public.
Chaudhry said that since Azam Khan was the principal secretary of former PM Imran Khan, he was in a key position and was responsible for all the good and bad deeds of the former premier.
He said that the PTI leaders who got into a clash with Azam were thrown out of the party. He supported his claim by giving examples of Jahangir Tareen and Faisal Vawda.
The journalist said that on March 8, then-ambassador to the US Asad Majeed met US Foreign Ministry Assistant Secretary Donald Lu, prepared a cypher, and sent it to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. Then the foreign secretary sent it to then-prime minister Imran Khan, then-army chief General (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa, and then-DG ISI.
He said that Azam Khan told Imran Khan about cypher on March 9, and on March 28, an audio leak surfaced in which Imran Khan was talking about cypher and terming it a valuable document on which he would play in the future.
Chaudhry said that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) recorded that telephone communication and sent it to the government, and later the government leaked it.
The journalist also said that during the time when a no-confidence motion was initiated against Imran Khan, the former premier met then-army chief Gen. (r) Bajwa at Pakistan Arif Force base, where a ceremony was held regarding the arrival of Chinese fighter jets. Khan asked Bajwa for a meeting after the ceremony was concluded. Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pervez Khattak, and Asad Umer met the then-Army chief and requested his favour in avoiding the no-confidence motion, but Gen. (r) Bajwa refused to extend any help and suggested Khan focus on maintaining ties with his party leaders and organize it.