Shireen Mazari asks Supreme Court to take notice of Imran Khan’s ‘phone tapping’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice-President and former human rights minister Dr Shireen Mazari said Monday the intelligence agencies illegally tap phones and the Supreme Court (SC) should take a suo motu notice of tapping then PM Imran Khan's phone.

Referring to media reports, she said that another phone conversation on the secure line between Imran Khan and his principal secretary Azam Khan is also going to be leaked.

Mazari said what is in the audio tape is not the issue, insisting the real issue was phone tapping. She, along with PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, told a hurriedly-called news conference here that an audio tape of the former first lady is circulating, which should be brought to light after a forensic test. She also asked how much assistance was given by the US in phone tapping.

Dr Mazari emphasised that the real issue is phone tapping. The government of former premier Benazir Bhutto was ousted in 1997 on the issue of phone tapping and the Supreme Court in its judgment held that phone tapping is illegal under Articles 8 and 14 of the Constitution. The court had said in its judgment that official or personal conversations cannot be recorded.

Citing an English daily, she pointed out that apart from this decision, there is a decision of Justice Saqib Nisar of 2015 in which one of the most interesting things was admission on part of country's prime intelligence agency that it recorded 6,856 phone calls in the month of May alone.

She said that intelligence agencies illegally tap phones because sensitive agencies have phone tapping technology. She remarked, “I ask why this series of illegal phone tapping continues despite Supreme Court orders as the secure line of Imran Khan's house was tapped. The Supreme Court should take a suo motu notice as to which agencies are there that are, despite court orders, taking illegal steps and violating the apex court order”.

Mazari contended that it has been reported that another audio is going to be leaked which is based on the conversation between Imran Khan and his principal secretary Azam Khan on the secure line. The former minister said if the audio is made public, it will not only violate the Supreme Court order, but also the Official Secret Act, and she will not remain silent on it.

The purpose of such acts, she claimed, was to hide the conspiracy and the nation has accepted the American conspiracy, so the neutrals and those who brought them are doing such acts so that the nation's attention is diverted from the issue.

Shireen Mazari said that after ‘our successful rallies, such conspirators, their handlers, neutrals and those they have brought, are nervous and trying to divert the attention of the people from this conspiracy and the country's complicated affairs in some way.

The IMF, she noted, was also asking this government to hold accountability against corruption while they (rulers) are not getting a place to flee. “I appeal to the defence institutions of Pakistan as to why they are pushing Pakistan to such difficult situations from where it becomes very difficult to return. The date of elections should be announced so that the nation elects its representatives and then form policies for the betterment of the country,” she contended.

She accused PMLN leader Maryam Nawaz of violating the Official Secret Act during her rallies every day, and wondered if this government and its handler are not violating the Constitution and law by showing official documents to a convicted person. “There are many similar questions that we want to ask neutrals and this government,” she said.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI Senior Vice President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that the loadshedding crisis in this country is getting serious and now it is being said that loadshedding will take place even during Eid holidays, while the government has admitted that all plants are on imported fuel and they do not have money to buy fuel.

Fawad said that the government has accepted all IMF demands to make petroleum products costlier, tax the public yet the IMF is not ready to pay, the IMF is saying it is hesitant to issue a package on changing anti-corruption laws.

The government, he claimed, immediately accepted the tax on the people but stuck to the issue of not enacting anti-corruption laws which gives an idea of the mindset of this government.

He alleged that the government changed the laws and gave itself a benefit of Rs1,100 billion as they gave themselves financial benefit under NRO, similarly Asif Zardari has been given NRO in the fake account case. “Therefore, Imran Khan says corruption makes your country poor and corruption worth billions of rupees of Sharif and Zardari family is hollowing out the roots of Pakistan,” he charged.

Fawad also said that phone tapping is a very important matter and phone tapping is being done in Pakistan and there is no monitoring, these calls are edited, not put to forensic test, human rights are being violated, allegations are being levelled against people.

He said that only yesterday, Farah Gujjar was accused by the PMLN of acquiring a plot in Faisalabad Industrial Zone at a price less than the market value, ‘while according to the documents we have, Ayaz Sadiq also acquired two plots at the same place, so Ayaz Sadiq also committed corruption’.

PTI leader noted that Farah Gujjar was reportedly being issued red warrants. He asked how warrants could be issued when no case was registered against her and the purpose of these false allegation campaign issued by the PMLN is only that they know that Imran Khan is the leader who has no lust for money.

Fawad said that ‘once again we repeat that we want good relations with the US, Europe, Russia and Western countries but that does not mean that a country can tell us who will rule our country as we cannot allow this thing. “It does not mean that no one even invited you to the ceremony and still you go there forcibly,” he said.

“After the accident that happened to Khawaja Asif at the age of 70-72, he suffers from psychological problems and often talks nonsense. If he has any evidence of contact with Donald Lu, he should make it public,” he said. He also talked on how 'rigging plan had been readied by PMLN leadership' for upcoming by-election.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Monday said PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari confirmed that Bushra Bibi is the head of PTI's social media, generating a false narrative.

Referring to the news conference held earlier by these two PTI leaders, she said they confirmed Bushra Bibi was the ‘mastermind’ of the campaign of treason certificates and the drive against the institutions. “Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari have accepted that the audio is of Bushra Bibi and that ‘linking’ political opponents with treason, is her ‘opinion’.

The minister contented that the campaign against institutions was being run by Bushra Bibi, adding it was proved that an immoral press conference with dirty-language speaking spokespersons was being done at her behest.

“Bushra Bibi is running a social media campaign against national institutions, the narratives of treason, external conspiracy while hiding in Bani Gala. Bushra Bibi is in the forefront and behind the drive to link political opponents with treason and bad-mouthing. She is the mastermind of the campaign against institutions,” the minister charged.

Marriyum alleged that Bushra Bibi fabricated the narrative of external conspiracy and treason to hide her corruption. Bushra Bibi campaign against political opponents, journalists and institutions.

“PTI admits to making treason cases to hide its corruption. The champions of the false narrative of conspiracy abroad have been caught apologising and cajoling the US. Imran Sahib is delivering "bygones are bygones" apology to the US,” she concluded.