ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) revealed today that, according to a report from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), they are unable to determine the origin of the leaked audio recordings.
During the hearing of petitions from Saqib Nisar’s son and Bushra Bibi, former chief justice of Pakistan and wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan respectively, Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC questioned the ISI’s submission of the report via the Ministry of Defence.
The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan responded, suggesting that the intelligence agency should have submitted the report through the Prime Minister’s Office. Additionally, the AGP stated that, according to the ISI’s report, the investigation could only proceed with the assistance of social media platforms.
The report concerning the audio leaks from the Prime Minister’s Office was presented to the court by the attorney general. He emphasized that no government intelligence agency, including the ISI, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Intelligence Bureau (IB), was authorized by the federal government to intercept audio conversations.
The AGP highlighted that the FIA was in the process of reaching out to telecom companies to identify the IP addresses involved, in compliance with court orders. He emphasized that any government agency involved in such recordings would be doing so unlawfully.
The lawyer from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) stated that TV channels were not permitted to broadcast private audio leaks. In response, the court inquired about PEMRA’s actions regarding the issue.
The counsel informed the bench that TV channels would refrain from airing such audio and had referred the matter to the Council of Complaints for a decision.
Justice Babar Sattar questioned the effectiveness of PEMRA as a regulator and whether it had issued immediate instructions to TV channels. The court expressed concern over the balance between freedom of information and privacy, emphasizing the state’s responsibility to safeguard both.
Counsel Aitzaz Ahsan advocated for self-regulation, pointing out instances where even the Constitution wasn’t upheld, citing the delay in polls as an example.
The court, referencing a news report, asked the attorney general to investigate whether the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had been granted authority to record calls, to which the AGP pledged to look into and inform the court accordingly.
The IHC instructed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to provide a comprehensive report at the next hearing. Furthermore, the court warned that if the government failed to provide the necessary information, national and international amici curiae might be appointed to assist.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
