Azam Khan has said that Imran planned to use the cipher to create a political narrative against his opposing political parties as well as the establishment.

The statement, released to the media in written form, claims that Imran was ‘euphoric’ when he saw the cipher and called it a ‘blunder’ by the United States.

The statement said that Imran wanted to use the cipher to create a narrative of foreign involvement in the no-confidence move against him. He wanted to create a version of foreign interference with local partners.

Azam Khan has also said that Imran Khan asked him to hand over the cipher in violation of rules and later ‘lost’ the original cipher. It was not returned to foreign office records as per the norm.

The former secretary said that Imran Khan was first told about the cipher by then Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Meanwhile Azam Khan was given the cipher by the Foreign Secretary on March 8 and he presented it to Imran Khan himself.

He added that the contents of the cipher were first placed in the a meeting of Foreign Office officials and later before the cabinet.

Azam Khan had gone missing a few weeks earlier. Sources said that his statement was filed under section 164 of the criminal code.