Dawn Leaks: Publishing of story govt’s failure, says inquiry report

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry committee formed to probe Dawn Leaks in its report has placed blame on Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer at the Press Information Department Rao Tehseen, sources told Geo News on Tuesday.

The report, which has been presented to the government, recommends the removal of Tehseen.

The sources said that the portfolio of Fatemi on foreign affairs is likely to be changed but he would retain his position.

They said that All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) would decide what action would be taken against the concerned newspaper.

The inquiry report could not ascertain who leaked the information to the reporter. However, blame was put on few people for failing to stop the publishing of the story.

The report stated that the publishing of the story was a failure on part of some government institutions including Information Ministry and Foreign Ministry.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with Tariq Fatemi, with sources informing Geo News that Dawn Leaks was the main agenda.

The English-language daily, Dawn, had published a story on October 6 in which journalist Cyril Almeida had written about an alleged civil-military rift during the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting over the issue of tackling jihadi outfits.

The story stirred a major controversy last year, resulting in Almeida coming under fire from the military and government and being temporarily placed on the Exit Control List.

The inquiry committee comprised one member each from the ISI, MI and IB, Secretary Establishment Tahir Shahbaz, Ombudsman Punjab Najam Saeed, and an FIA director.

No evidence found against Rashid

Meanwhile, informed sources told Geo News that mobile forensics data of Senator Pervaiz Rashid was also made part of the report by the inquiry committee, which could not find any evidence against the former information minister.

On October 29, following a preliminary investigation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took back the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage from Pervaiz Rashid, weeks after the military's top commanders said the 'false and fabricated' report published in the Dawn newspaper breached national security.

But the investigation carried out by the inquiry committee now appears to show that no evidence could be found against the former minister. According to sources privy with the mobile forensics data in report, Dawn newspaper reporter Cyril Almeida sent at least 11 text messages to Rashid.

Sources say the reporter, in the messages, requested the government not to 'insult' by repeatedly issuing rebuttals of his story, but the minister did not reply to most of the messages.

PID officer Rao Tehseen's mobile phone forensics data as well as data from the Safe City Project is part of the inquiry committee report.

'Imran lying in connecting Maryam Nawaz with Dawn leaks case'

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Imran Khan has deceitfully named Maryam Nawaz in the Dawn leaks case after getting disappointment from Supreme Court’s decision over Panama Leaks case.

Speaking to the press, minister said that for no reason Maryam Nawaz’s name is being taken in the Dawn leaks case, further adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s chairman shouted allegations on election rigging and Panama leaks case but after receiving sheer disappointment from both cases, he has started taking name of Maryam Nawaz in the Dawn leaks.

“He (Imran Khan) is again lying in connecting Maryam Nawaz with Dawn leaks case. Those who level false allegations must apologise,” she said.

Last week, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the inquiry report into 'Dawn leaks' would be submitted to his ministry within two or three days.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said the government would publish the inquiry report, unlike findings of other commissions that have been under wraps in the past.

Earlier this month, DG ISPR Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor said the army, "like every Pakistani awaits a decision based on justice and merit".

The Pakistan Army's top commanders expressed serious concern over the "feeding of a false and fabricated story of an important security meeting", terming it a breach of national security.

The government called it a 'fabricated' story and termed the "purported deliberations" during the security meeting as speculative, misleading, factually incorrect, and an "amalgamation of fiction and fabrication".