Screengrab of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s video statement
Describing the recent leaks of various conversations allegedly recorded at Prime Minister’s House as a “serious breach of national security,” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said his party would approach courts to establish the authenticity of the leaks and form a JIT to probe the origin of the recordings and their release.
“The audio leaks are a serious breach of national security as they call into question the entire security of the [Prime Minister’s Office/Prime Minister’s House],” he wrote in a statement on Twitter. “As P.M. my secure line at my residence was also bugged. We intend to go to court to establish authenticity of leaks and then form [Joint Investigation Team] to investigate which Intelligence agency is responsible for the bugging and who is leaking out the audios, many of which are edited/doctored,” he continued.
“This is critical because sensitive security issues are, and have been, illegally recorded and subsequently hacked, implying confidentiality of Pakistan’s national security has been exposed globally,” he added.
Khan’s latest statement stands in direct contrast to his views while he was prime minister. In an interview to journalist Mansoor Ali Khan from November 2020, Khan had been questioned on whether he was concerned about the bugging of his offices by the ISI. “Whatever I do, whatever I say on the phone, whoever contacts me, everything is known to the ISI,” Khan had said, adding that he had no concerns about this wire-tapping because it was “protective” and he had nothing to fear because he had “nothing to hide.”
The ousted prime minister’s statement also follows a press conference by senior PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Sunday in which the former information minister had accused the judiciary of ignoring the audio leaks involving political leaders, adding that they would perhaps only take action if some judges’ phones were tapped.
“Judiciary is busy in its infighting over appointment of judges,” he said, stressing that the elements behind the leaks must be exposed. The PTI leader also claimed that for stability to be achieved in the country, it was essential that all “un-elected institutions respect elected offices.”
Thus far, four audio leaks allegedly featuring conversations between Khan and other PTI leaders have leaked, alongside three audio clips of P.M. Sharif and various PMLN leaders. Of the leaks featuring the PTI, three center on the diplomatic cipher and how Khan chose to “play” with it, while the fourth concerns alleged horse-trading ahead of the vote of no-confidence that led to the PTI chief’s ouster.
The federal cabinet had already granted approval for a high-level inquiry into the leaks, especially with regards to fixing responsibility on the culprits who have been releasing the recordings online.