-Heads of intelligence institutions brief participants
-Legal framework regarding Cyber security ordered
-Interior Minister says government to conduct forensic audit of PM, Imran Khan’s leaked audios
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday approved the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the recently surfaced audio leaks featuring candid conversations between key figures in the coalition government and instructed the Ministry of Law to prepare a “legal framework” regarding cyber security.
The meeting of the NSC, which is the highest forum for coordination on security issues, was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. It was attended by ministers for defence, energy, information and broadcasting, interior, finance, human rights, planning, development and special initiatives, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, services chiefs, national security adviser and senior officers.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the high-level committee will be headed by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.
During the meeting Wednesday, the heads of the intelligence institutions gave a detailed briefing to the participants on the security of the PM’s house and other important places.
“The meeting was told that an investigation is being conducted on the issue of the audios circulating on social media. It was briefed about certain aspects related to the security of the Prime Minister’s House and the fool-proof arrangements taken to remedy them.”
The statement reads that the meeting’s participants were informed that emergency measures were being taken to ensure the security of the Prime Minister’s House and other important places, buildings and ministries in order to “avoid any such situation in the future”.
It said that after consultation, the NSC directed the Law Ministry to prepare a “legal framework” related to cyber security.
Furthermore, the participants agreed to review the security, safety and security of government communications keeping in mind the current changing environment of modern technology and cyberspace to “ensure security and security systems are not breached”.
The development comes after audio recordings of conversations between key government figures — including PM Shehbaz, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and some members of the federal cabinet — discussing governance matters privately surfaced over the weekend, prompting concerns over the security of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
On Saturday, a recording of PM Shehbaz surfaced where he could be heard speaking with an unidentified official about the possibility of facilitating the import of Indian machinery for a power project that was a concern of Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law, Raheel.
On Sunday, further recordings surfaced, which were shared on social media by several PTI leaders, concerning Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and the resignations of PTI lawmakers from the National Assembly.
One clip purportedly features a conversation between PML-N Vice President Maryam and the premier about Miftah, wherein a voice thought to belong to the former says he “doesn’t know what he is doing” and wishes for the return of PML-N stalwart Ishaq Dar.
A second clip allegedly concerns a conversation between the prime minister, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Ayaz Sadiq about the resignations of PTI lawmakers from the National Assembly.
A third clip purportedly features a conversation between Maryam Nawaz and PM Shehbaz regarding the return of former army chief retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.
PM Shehbaz on Tuesday termed the surfacing of audio leaks a “very serious lapse” and announced that a high-level committee would be constituted to probe the matter.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said that the government will conduct a forensic audit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s leaked audios.
In the audio allegedly featuring Khan, a man can be heard talking about the cypher which Khan — time and again — has claimed mentions the “threat” to remove his government.
In the audio clip, Imran is heard saying: “We only have to play on this. We don’t have to name [any country]. We only have to play with this, that this date was [decided] before.”
Khan allegedly told Azam in the audio — the date of which cannot be ascertained at the moment — that “let’s just play” with the cypher and not mention America’s name.
In response, Azam tells Khan a scheme of how to use the cypher to forward PTI’s political agenda — and in that, he also suggests using Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood so the matter can be highlighted at a “bureaucratic level”.
Following the leaked audio, Sanaullah — during a press conference in Islamabad — said that if Khan’s audio is real, then he should be exposed before the nation. “Khan has created a narrative of an American conspiracy to mislead the nation and divide it,” he added.
Criticising the PTI chief, the interior minister said that Khan has caused “irreparable damage to Pakistan and destroyed the country’s economy and political culture.”
“I will show students Imran Khan’s awful face,” said Sanaullah with reference to a university lecture that Khan delivered, adding that this “political fitna” has to be ended in a political way.
The PML-N leader further said that the audio talks about changing the minutes of government meetings. “This player is playing with the nation and is working on a specific agenda,” he added. Sanaullah also said that Khan’s political narrative will be exposed.
