[31] On 10 May 2022, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif addressed the National Assembly and acknowledged the letter was threatening, but said the notes did not involve a conspiracy or treason.
[36][37] However, the commission failed to form, as Lieutenant General Khan cited the army warned him not to be politicized,[38] and there was not enough time to properly investigate under the current government.
[38][39] In an open letter, Gen. Khan wrote, "I have no connections with any politicians or political party, am known to be apolitical...I was more than willing to undertake this task," however "it appeared that the Government would not last for more than a day or two" so he could not continue.
[41] The former Prime Minister Khan, in separate letters written to the President of Pakistan and Chief Justice on 30 April 2022, again urged the formation of an independent Judicial Commission.
[42][43] On 10 May 2022, in a public statement, President Arif Alvi verified the contents of the letter and urged Chief Justice Umar Bandial to hold an open hearing.
"[44] In August 2023, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) filed a first information report (FIR) under the Official Secrets Act against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The FIR alleged that both improperly communicated information from a classified document – a cipher telegram received from Washington on March 7, 2022 – to unauthorized people and compromised state security.
[46] On December 22, the Supreme Court granted post-arrest bail to Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi on surety bonds of Rs 1 million each.
[46] On January 30, 2024, a special court sentenced Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to ten years in prison in the cipher case.