PM Nawaz meets COAS, Dawn Leaks among other issues discussed: sources

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday night, sources told Geo News.

Sources said that both had a pleasant meeting, adding that matter pertaining to Dawn Leaks, security and border situation were discussed.

PM Nawaz and COAS agreed that the issues surrounding Dawn Leaks would be dealt with amicably.

Sources further said that the meeting was held upon PM Nawaz's wish.

On Saturday, the federal cabinet division issued a notification, ordering the withdrawal of the portfolio of Foreign Affairs from the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.

“In terms of rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973, the Prime Minister has been pleased to withdraw the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, with immediate effect, from Mr Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister with the status of Minister of State,” the notification read.

The notification has been issued because of Fatemi's alleged role in Dawn leaks case.

According to 4(6) of Rules of Business 1973, the Prime Minister has the right to determine his special assistants. “There may be a Special Assistant or Special Assistants to the Prime Minister with such status and functions as may be determined by the Prime Minister,” it reads.

However, the military rejected the government notification on Dawn Leaks saying it was "incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board."

Read: Pakistan Army rejects govt notification on Dawn Leaks

How did it start?

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

The story stirred a major controversy last year, resulting in resignation of Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed and Almeida coming under fire.

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

The inquiry committee in its report had placed blame 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 report stated that the publishing of the story was a failure on part of some government institutions including Information Ministry and Foreign Ministry.