PTI wants investigation into leaked conversations

— In petition submitted to Supreme Court, party calls leak a ‘conspiracy’ against Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has asked the Supreme Court to investigate the private and confidential conversations between the prime minister and members of his government and family recently leaked on the Internet, as it sought a criminal indictment for Shehbaz Sharif and his administration for hatching a “conspiracy” against Pakistan.

The leaks started on September 24 when multiple files of purported conversations, apparently recorded in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), emerged online. They apparently showed Sharif and other ministers talking about official matters.

In at least one instance, Maryam Nawaz, vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), could also be heard.

Subsequently, on Tuesday, Sharif ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the leaking of audio files and a review of cybersecurity at his office.

In a petition submitted to the Supreme Court on Saturday, the opposition party said the “… prime minister and his cabinet members […] can be heard discussing a heinous strategy to outplay the petitioner from the parliamentary politics in most illegal, unlawful and objectionable manner.”

It noted with concern that the entire discussion revolves around a “criminal strategy/conspiracy” to affect and target the party through piecemeal acceptance of the resignations tendered by PTI MPs on April 11.

The party said the prime minister, in a press conference on Tuesday, admitted the “actuality and existence” of the leaks.

“It is also important to bring on record that the Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan have already admitted the reality of the audio leaks,” the petition observed.

The party claimed the prime minister and his minister with aid of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, speaker of the National Assembly, violated their oath and disregarded the law and the Constitution.

“The admission on the part of the incumbent federal government requires stern action against the prime minister and the federal ministers,” the petition said.

The PTI was also the target of two other leaks last month when purported telephone conversations between Shaukat Tarin, a former finance minister, and two of his counterparts from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were released.

Tarin, who confirmed the authenticity of the conversation, could be heard discussing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package with the two ministers.

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