File photo of the 38th meeting of the National Security Committee. Courtesy PID
The Government of Pakistan has formed a joint investigation team (JIT), including representatives from all intelligence agencies, to probe the alleged hacking of audio recordings from the Prime Minister’s House.
According to authorities, the JIT would be tasked with determining how the hack occurred and would have the authority to investigate the P.M. House staff in this regard. Local media reported that the JIT would also probe the recordings, including whether it was done through phones or via other devices planted in the P.M. House.
Pending the results of the inquiry, per authorities, the movement of security personnel posted at the Prime Minister’s House and office has been restricted. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said an initial probe had been completed, adding that a preliminary report would be presented at a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) convened for Wednesday (tomorrow). Earlier, he had suggested that it was “not a big deal” if people’s phones had been hacked, but admitted that it would be a major security breach if the prime minister’s office had been bugged.
Called by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the NSC meeting would deliberate on the potential national security threat posed by the recordings and examine how the leak might have occurred. According to Sanaullah, both the Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence would apprise the prime minister of their findings on the leak during the NSC meeting. However, the meeting was abruptly postponed indefinitely on Tuesday, with authorities saying it would be called when the prime minister’s schedule permits.
Leaked audios
Over the weekend, three audio clips, allegedly featuring conversations recorded at the Prime Minister’s Office, went viral on social media, with an individual claiming they had more than 8GB worth of audio—featuring both the sitting and former prime minister—that they were willing to sell for 180BTC. This claim could not be independently verified, as the original poster has refused to share any further samples without payment.
The recording leaked thus far are all of the incumbent prime minister. In the first, he can be heard discussing with a government official the matter of importing machinery from India at the behest of PMLN leader Maryam Nawaz. Stressing this would be politically damaging, he says he would inform Maryam that the matter cannot be pursued at the government level.
In the second audio, several members of the federal cabinet can be heard discussing the National Assembly by-elections—on seats vacated by the resignation of PTI lawmakers—that were recently postponed due to floods. The third audio appears be a private conversation between Maryam Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif in which they discuss fuel prices and the prevailing political situation.