(Web Desk) — In a major relief for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has overturned the convictions of imprisoned founder Imran Khan and party Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, which involved accusations of mishandling a classified diplomatic document.

According to the local media reports, Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the IHC delivered the concise verdict on the appeals contesting the convictions related to the cipher case. Earlier this year, both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to ten years in prison in connection with this case.

The ciphergate controversy dates back to March 27, 2022, when Imran Khan, shortly before his ousting in April 2022, brandished a letter at a public gathering, alleging it to be a secret communication from a foreign entity conspiring against his government. However, he refrained from disclosing its contents or identifying the sender. Subsequently, he accused the United States, specifically Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu, of orchestrating his removal from power.

The letter pertained to a meeting between Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US and Donald Lu. Despite Khan’s claims, a subsequent meeting of the National Security Committee under then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif found no substantiated evidence of foreign interference.

The controversy escalated with the release of audio recordings purportedly featuring Imran Khan, then-Federal Minister Asad Umar, and then-Principal Secretary Azam discussing the alleged advantages of leveraging the US cipher to their political benefit.

The Islamabad High Court’s decision to annul the convictions marks a significant turn in the ongoing saga surrounding the cipher case, providing relief to the PTI leadership.