Audio leaks: Government to form JIT to probe leaks
Amid echoes of audio leaks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday summoned a National Security Committee meeting likely to be held on Wednesday (tomorrow).
The meeting will be attended by the leadership of all three-armed forces, federal ministers, and committee members. The authorities will be briefed on security issues including the audio leaks of the Prime Minister s House in the meeting.
Earlier, a number of leaked audio recordings purportedly of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s discussions with his aides and other officials about different government and party matters had been leaked. The incident has raised questions about the security breach of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Moreover, those leaked audio recordings were priced at 18 bitcoins, a digital currency, which at its trading rate translated into over $3.4 million, would be one of the biggest data breaches in Pakistan’s history.
However, the government has not yet commented on the matter. Meanwhile, the federal government has decided to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the issue of audio leaks from the Prime Minister’s House.
According to some sources in the Interior Ministry said that officials from intelligence agencies will also be a part of the JIT. The sources further said the JIT will investigate some basic issues related to security breaches and persons involved in the matter. The JIT will investigate that either this IT data was hacked or stolen and sold. It will also investigate whether devices were installed in the PM House or made recordings on mobile phones.
Moreover, the JIT will have the power to conduct investigations involving the staff of the PM House and examine which officers were present at the PM House at the time of the audio tapes. The JIT will also be able to bring an investigation involving the Directorate of a civil intelligence institute at the PM House.
Audio leaks: Government to form JIT to probe leaks
The sources, however, said that investigations will also be conducted with the officials of the Special Branch who have been working in the PM House and Secretariat for the last six months.
The JIT will also include officials of secret agencies to probe into the audio leaks from the Prime Minister’s House.
