Govt starts investigation after purported audio leak from PM House goes viral

• PM Shehbaz Sharif takes notice of leaked audios and orders probe.
• Nothing to worry about, phone tapping is common, says Sanaullah.
• Says premature to claim security of PM House breached.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah says Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the audio leaks allegedly from PM House that feature government officials.

In an interview on Geo News programme 'Naya Pakistan', the interior minister said all agencies will be part of the probe. But he said there was "nothing to worry about" over phone tapping as it was common in the world.

“It portrays a better image of the government about governance and fair play,” he added.

He said it was premature to claim the security of PM House had been breached. “However, it will be a serious issue if a spying device is found at PM House."

Security at PM House was called into question after purported audio clips featuring government officials surfaced in the last week.

It is also being said, according to Geo News, that there are secret recording systems installed at PM House which even government representatives are unaware of.

However, PML-N members and federal ministers are reluctant to speak on the matter.

Audio leaks

The latest and second leaked audio that had gone viral on social media — allegedly featuring PM Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and others — contains a discussion regarding PTI’s resignations.

In it, PML-N leaders can allegedly be heard giving their opinions over PTI’s resignations. They are also talking about London's permission to accept the resignations.

Before that, another leaked audio had gone viral on social media — allegedly featuring PM Shehbaz — containing a discussion regarding PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz asking for a power plant from India to be imported for her son-in-law.

Data on 'dark web'

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, while raising questions over the cyber security situation in the country, said that PM House’s data has been put on sale on the dark web.

Taking to his Twitter handle, the PTI leader said, “It is a major failure of our intelligence agencies, especially the Intelligence Bureau (IB).”

“Besides political matters, important discussion on security and foreign affairs are in their hands,” he added.

'8GB leaks’

Further raising questions over the security of the PM Office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said: “8GB of hacked leaks from PMO. Regardless of who is speaking, this Orwellian culture of recordings is disgusting.”

The minister asked: “Who is accountable for the security of this data?”

'Leaked audios reveal influence of convict Nawaz '

Reacting to the leaked audio, PTI’s leader Shireen Mazari said one of the alleged audios showed the laying down of groundwork for “absconder Dar’s return”.

“The leaked audios certainly reveal the influence of convict Nawaz Sharif and his convict-on-bail daughter in the running of this imported government itself a cabal of crooks,” she added.

The “real issue” was who bugged the PMO or PM House in the first place, she went on to say.

“The hacking happened because devices were placed in these locations. So who is responsible and where did orders or decisions come from? That is a question that must also be focused on,” she added.