The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson on Tuesday contradicted as “entirely baseless” a claim that the cypher communication received from Pakistan Embassy in Washington was hidden from the foreign minister or prime minister.

“Such a question simply does not arise,” the spokesperson remarked.

He said the Foreign Office operated on a professional basis and it would be detrimental to cast aspersions on its working.

Some time ago, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that there is no question or the possibility of hiding or holding back something like that. It was a cypher telegram which is an accountable and classified document whose handling and access are strictly in accordance with relevant cypher instructions and procedures,” he said, adding that the cypher telegram was duly received at the Foreign Office and immediately distributed among the relevant authorities.

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He further said that the issue has been in the public debate and “it has been a kind of little politicized. “So, I don’t want to go into that but to briefly state that facts. I think it is important to recall what has been the discussion in the meetings of the NSC. I think there was no contradiction in the two communiqués of the two meetings which actually complement each other.”

He said that the statement of the NSC’s meeting was the “most authentic reference” to the entire matter from the relevant and competent government departments.

“I have nothing to add to that the communiqués of the NSC speak for themselves,” he added.