News Desk |
The government has decided to make public the ‘operative part’ of the report submitted by the inquiry committee on the “ Dawn leaks ” scandal. The move comes after a spat between the military and civil establishment over a notification released by the office of the Prime Minister’s secretary. The aim of this is to put to rest the current speculation regarding hostilities between the army and the government following Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor’s tweet rejecting the government’s notification.
“The interior ministry will issue a notification about the news leaks this week. This notification will carry the operative part of the recommendations of the committee,” Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Monday.
I believe that tweets, sent out by whosoever, are zehr-i-qatil (deadly poison) for Pakistan’s democracy, our system and justice,
“There will not be any confusion or misunderstanding after the interior ministry’s notification. It will also put to rest all speculations about civil-military tension over the issue,” he said, also adding that the DG ISPR’s tweet was the result of a misunderstanding.
“Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had already made it clear that his ministry was to issue a notification but the directive (from the Prime Minister’s Office) created unnecessary confusion,” he said.
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The minister said: “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already approved the committee’s report… He has also approved the Para 18 of the report that includes the operative part of the recommendations. The recommendations, which will be part of the notification, I believe, have been unanimously authored by the committee.
“Therefore, after the notification those predicting a ‘serious rift’ between the government and military will face disappointment.”
Mr. Sanaullah kept reiterating that the government was enjoying ‘exemplary’ relations with the army.
The government has come under fire from the opposition and the military after deciding to sack Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer Rao Tehseen
The sources said the prime minister had decided to make public the operative part of the committee’s recommendations after discussion with his aides. Sources in the PML-N have stated that the interior ministry is likely to issue the notification on Tuesday. “Since this controversy has already stretched over many days, the government wants to settle it on the first working day of this week,” they said.
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Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the interior minister, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad were present in the meeting at the Sharif family’s Jati Umra residence in Raiwind.
The government has come under fire from the opposition and the military after deciding to sack Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer Rao Tehseen. Both have denied having any part in the planting of the “Dawn Leaks” and Mr. Tehseen has announced that he will challenge the government’s decision in court.
DG ISPR’s tweet had put the government in an awkward position.
Notification on Dawn Leak is incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board. Notification is rejected.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) April 29, 2017
Chaudhry Nisar, speaking at a press conference, expressed his displeasure over the move, saying that communication between the institutions should not be through tweets. “I believe that tweets, sent out by whosoever, are zehr-i-qatil (deadly poison) for Pakistan’s democracy, our system and justice,” the minister said.
The committee, headed by retired Justice Aamer Raza Khan, was constituted by the interior ministry in November to ascertain who had leaked information about a security meeting attended by top military and civilian officials.
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Establishment Secretary Tahir Shahbaz, Punjab Ombudsman Najam Saeed, Federal Investigation Agency’s Punjab Director Dr Usman Anwar and a representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, and Intelligence Bureau were its members.
Previously, Chaudhry Nisar had stated that the report would be made public after the members had reached a consensus.