ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to adopt an aggressive approach to the cipher issue. Party insiders said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has directed the
party from London to give a strong and aggressive response on the matter.
Nawaz has directed the party to inform the public about the matter and to tell them that this “conspiracy” against the state was a “very big conspiracy”. He also directed them to expose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s “false narrative” on electronic and print media and social media with evidence. Party officials and federal ministers have been directed to hold regular press conferences on the “false story”.
The party supremo has called for a clear stand on the issue at the government and party level while highlighting that an attempt was made to isolate Pakistan on the diplomatic front. Meanwhile, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz lambasted PTI chief Imran Khan for making the cipher ‘disappeared’ fearing he would be ‘caught for his forgery’.
“This cipher is not just a piece of paper, but it is given to you by the state of Pakistan that you will safeguard it. Whoever violates the interests of the state by betraying the national trust should be made an example so that no ‘foreign agent’ damages the country for the sake of dollars,” she wrote on her official twitter handle on Sunday. Maryam said that Imran made the cipher disappeared after being caught red-handed; adding that he even used a hashtag for it. In an interview on Saturday, the deposed prime minister admitted that the copy of cipher he had was missing and he did not know about its whereabouts. On Friday, the federal cabinet accused Imran of sacrificing key national interests for political gains by giving fictitious meaning to a diplomatic cipher.