Islamabad: Federal Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Saturday confirmed that the Justice Qazi Faez Isa-led bench former to investigate audio leaks of the judiciary would possess the power to probe into who is taping the audios and leaking them.
Speaking with a private news channel on Saturday evening, the federal minister’s remarks came in response to the points raised by former prime minister Imran Khan, in which the PTI chief pointed towards a “deliberate omission” in the commission’s Terms of Reference.
Imran Khan emphasised that the commission should be empowered to probe the “powerful element” behind audio leaks, which allegedly tapped and recorded telephone conversations of citizens, including high public functionaries.
The Federal Government has formed Inquiry Commission under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 2017 to investigate into the issue of Audio Leaks. However, the Terms of Reference formed by the Federal Government suffer from a deliberate omission. They fail to take into…
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 20, 2023
In a tweet, the former premier said the ToRs formed by the federal government suffered from a deliberate omission since they failed to take into account the issue that who was behind unlawful and unconstitutional surveillance of the PM Office and sitting judges of the Supreme Court.
Commission to probe audio leaks related to judiciary
“The commission should be empowered to investigate who are these powerful and unknown elements who tap and record telephone conversations of citizens, including high public functionaries,” Imran Khan said, adding this was a serious breach of privacy guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.
“Not only those who illegally retrieve data through unlawful phone tapping and surveillance should be held accountable but those who through fabrication and tampering of different phone calls leak them on social media also need to be held accountable,” he emphasised.
“Nevertheless, they unlawfully were tapped and fabricated/tampered with. Seemingly, the elements behind such audacious tapping operate in a manner outside the command and even knowledge of the PM of Pakistan.”
“Who are these actors above the law and outside the command of even the prime minister of the country, and who resort to such illegal surveillance with impunity? Such elements need to be held identified by the commission,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Rana Sanaullah said that the government was under pressure from civil society and others to pursue inquiry on the matter of audio leaks. He added that the government requires material to take the matter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
“Crime cannot take the shield of privacy,” Sanaullah said, warning against using privacy for committing crimes as revealed in the alleged audio leaks.
