Investigative agency heads are called in the case of audio leaks

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Staff Reporter

3 years ago

ISLAMABAD: The Director General (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Director General (DG) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) were summoned by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on February 19, 2019, in a noteworthy development pertaining to the ongoing case of audio leaks.

The hearing, which is being chaired by Justice Babar Sattar, is focused on petitions regarding the aforementioned audio leaks that have been filed by Bushra Bibi and Najam us Saqib, the son of the former Chief Justice of Pakistan.

In a thorough seven-page written ruling in the case, Justice Babar Sattar stated that the Attorney General confirmed that no intelligence agency had been given permission by the federal government to record phone conversations. But there were still unanswered concerns regarding Bushra Bibi and Latif Khosa’s audio recording and subsequent leak.

Judge Babar Sattar expressed skepticism and gave the Intelligence Bureau strict instructions to carry out an exhaustive probe and produce a comprehensive report, stressing the importance of figuring out who leaked the audio and identifying the account holder accountable.

The court learned that a secret agency, via the Ministry of Defence, submitted a report on the audio leaks but lacked the capability to trace the source on social media. The Attorney General underscored the importance of protecting citizens’ privacy and rights, prompting the FIA to seek additional time for a comprehensive response.

The court instructed the FIA to provide details on social media accounts sharing the leaked audio and summoned the DG of FIA to elucidate the methods of surveillance and phone call recording.

According to the IHC order, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) submitted a report stating its inability to trace the source on social media.

The court mandated the IB to conduct an inquiry and submit a report detailing the accounts through which the audio leaks were shared in three weeks. Additionally, the DG of IB was tasked with elucidating who could conduct surveillance on Pakistani citizens and whether the state possesses the capability to prevent illegal surveillance.

The FIA, granted additional time, is expected to submit a detailed report on the leaked audio’s social media accounts.

The Director General of FIA is also required to appear in court to explain the procedures involved in surveillance and recording, as outlined in the court’s order.

Staff Reporter