World laughing at ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan's cypher conspiracy, Joe Biden's adviser says

Former Pakistani Premier Imran Khan's antics have left the entire world laughing, according to an adviser to US Presidenṭ Joe Biden. Speaking on a Geo News programme, Shahid Ahmed Khan said that the US does not wish to involve itself in Pakistan's internal politics, clarifying that a letter penned by American senators focused on human rights, not Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.

Shahid Ahmed Khan, who is the Adviser to US President on Arts, revealed that the PTI chief's "cypher drama" has become a laughingstock for the world. The adviser's statement dispels the allegations made by the erstwhile PM, who claimed last year at a rally that Washington hatched a plan to oust him from office. During the event, he waved around a cypher to back his allegations. 

According to The News International, Shahid stressed that Biden has not cast aside Pakistan over the country's ties with rival China. He asserted that if the missive penned by US senators was a generic letter on human rights, and if that was not the case, Pakistan would have been unable to receive any further assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Biden's adviser also expressed confusion over Pakistan's habit of deteriorating ties with nations that cater to its interests, adding that the IMF was dissatisfied with the country's local leadership and the previous government's inability to implement an old agreement. 

What is the cypher saga? 

The cypher controversy that Shahid Ahmed Khan touched upon dates back to March 27, 2022, when former Pakistan PM Imran Khan blamed the US for his loss of power and flashed a cypher at a rally. A cypher is a secret document that envoys in other countries send to their homeland. 

In a confession, the ex-PM's then-principal secretary Azam Khan said that Imran Khan was “euphoric” when he gave him a cypher and allegedly decided to use it to build an “anti-establishment narrative”. Reacting to the drama, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said: "There can be no bigger betrayal than this. National security was compromised and the official secrets act was violated."