ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Minister for Information Senator Pervez Rasheed on Saturday resigned from his Office as part of an investigation into a Controversial Story published in Dawn News on October 6.
According a statement issued by the Spokesperson PM House Musadiq Malik, as per available evidences Pervez Rasheed was found responsible for leakage and publication of Dawn Story.
The statement said that the Story published in Dawn News was ‘breach of national security’.
Sources said that Pervez Rasheed’s portfolio was asked by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign after a preliminary inquiry was launched by the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. They said that Pervez Rasheed would remain having no ministership till the investigation into the Story was completed.
The PM House’s statement further said that a high-level investigation team consisting of senior officers of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) was being constituted to probe the matter.
The Inquiry Committee would probe the allegations and also objectives behind the Story.
Resignation of Pervaz Rasheed says:
The Prime Minister,
Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
Islamabad.
Subject: Resignation from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Dear Mian Nawaz Sharif sahib,
I have been working under your dynamic leadership for the strengthening of democratic institutions. I tried my best to be of some help to you for the implementation of your agenda for economic development and peace and cooperation in the region.
I have been watching the political situation of the country with great concern for democratic transition. Given the unwarranted controversy over a false news story and despite having no connection with it, I feel perturbed over the accusations being levelled against myself and the government about the alleged “Leakage/planting” of the baseless and fabricated story.
I fully understand and have always observed the imperative of confidentiality of proceedings on various national issues, national security in particular. Before seeing me the journalist from Dawn had the story with him from his sources, other than me. I had told him that story is speculative and did not in any way provide any credence to his conjectures on which he had built his story.
Since my name is being allegedly associated with the story that I solemnly deny, I want to relieve the government from the moral burden that it is being wrongly implicated. In the best interests of the country and democracy, I submit my resignation from being the Minister for Information and Broadcasting. I hope this must bring an end to wild speculations and hope best for your success in steering the country out the quagmire that it faces. My best regards.
Sincerely,
Pervaiz Rashied,
Minister for Information
Dated 29.10.2016
21.30 pm
Khawaja Asif leaves for Dubai
On the hand, the Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif brushed aside media reports that he had escaped from Pakistan saying “Just arrived in Dubai with family to attend a wedding, will be back inshallah tomorrow morning”.
Mubarak to nation! 1 darbari sacked, the other flees & the rest start trembling as they look over their shoulders! NS’s darbar disappearing!
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 29, 2016
Information Minister Pervez Rashid is the 1st causality of Dawn leaks real culprit is yet to be identified he will also go
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirGEO) October 29, 2016
The Civil-Military relationship witnessed a rift earlier this month after Dawn News’ reporter Cyril Almeida disclosed some highly sensitive information about a high-level security meeting in his Story titled “Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military” published in the newspaper on October 6.
Following the Story, the Corps Commanders on October 14 expressed their serious concern over feeding of false and fabricated story of the recent important security meeting and viewed it as “breach of national security”.
The military leadership called upon the federal government to investigate the Story and find out culprits and their objectives behind it.
