PTI, PPP demand govt to present Dawn Leaks report in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have demanded the government to present inquiry report of Dawn leaks in the National Assembly.

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 drew an outpour of criticism with the military stating that it was fed to the reporter and demanded investigations into it. It cost Almeida placement of his name on the Exit Control List for less than a week, before the government eventually lifted his travel ban.

PTI lawmaker Shireen Mazari said the interior minister termed the matter against the national security and if that was not the case then Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan should withdraw from his stance.

In October 2016, 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 a 'false and fabricated' newspaper report breached national security.

Mazari said that Tariq Fatemi was made a scapegoat, while he denied allegations against him.

An inquiry committee, formed to probe the matter, had in its report placed the blame for the leaks on Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer at the Press Information Department Rao Tehsin, sources had earlier told Geo News.

The government, on April 29, also withdrew the portfolio of PM's aide on Foreign Affairs from Tariq Fatemi, followed by transfer of Principal Information Officer at the Press Information Department (PID) Rao Tehseen.

Maintaining the matter was of national security, Asad Umar called for bringing it into the Parliament.

"The matter caused defamation of the country and the military, since India gave enough hype to it. It is the jurisdiction of the Parliament to design the country's security and foreign policies, not of any institution," he said, adding that not only the military, but 200 million people of the country were maligned due to this matter.

He questioned that if it was not a national security issue then why was it given such publicity, further inquiring, "If media is independent, then why Pervez Rasheed and Rao Tehseen were replaced from their respective posts after being held responsible for not being able hold back the story?"

Munazza Hassan demanded a ruling be given to present the inquiry report before the National Security Committee.

"If Tariq Fatemi was replaced as PM's aide for violating national security, then what is he doing with official delegation to China these days," asked Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

PPP leader Naveed Qamar said it was a sensitive matter and withdrawing the tweet was no solution. The government will have to answer whether the story was fabricated or not, he added.

The report has not yet been made public by the government.