ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that the government would expose those behind the security leaks, adding that Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid was removed for his failure to stop the story from being published.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Nisar said that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Sunday said Rasheed should not have let the Dawn’s story go into print.
Nisar said that some documented and undocumented records involving Pervaiz Rasheed say the reporter contacted him for comments about a story regarding Shahbaz Sharif and the ISI chief.
Pervaiz Rashid called the reporter into his office. Through my entire investigation… I reached the conclusion that Pervaiz Rasheed should have told the reporter that this story is wrong,Do not publish this story in view of national interest,” Nisar said.
Nisar said that all information given to Dawn about an altercation between Shahbaz Sharif and the ISI chief, or the foreign secretary’s comments that Pakistan stands isolated in the world were all false.
The minister said that that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif were briefed regarding a probe into the story when all three met in Quetta a day after the police academy attack, where the interior minister shared details regarding the probe.
“I shared with him [the PM] the details and recommendations. The PM asked me some questions and in principle approved the recommendations. He asked me to share them with the COAS. Ishaq Dar was also there in the meeting, so was Shahbaz Sharif.”
He said that a high-level inquiry committee comprising intelligence officials and other senior officials would be constituted by the prime minister.
“There is a unanimous agreement: whoever has leaked this false news should be brought in front of the nation. Who has leaked this story? Who fabricated this? Pakistan’s national narrative is being compromised by a false report,” he claimed.
The interior minister said that locking down the capital was not a crime against the government, but a crime against the state.
He said that Cyril Almaeida’s name was removed from ECL on the request of CPNE and APNS. He said that they would summon Cyril and on refusal to come back legal process will be initiated to bring him back.
