Dawn Leaks probe: Heads roll, but army unimpressed
PM’s aide Tariq Fatemi sent packing, action orders against PIO Rao Tehseen
Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. PHOTO: ISPR / FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A controversy stirred up by a ‘planted news story’ about a high-level security huddle took a turn for the worse on Saturday when the prime minister sacked one of his top aides and a senior bureaucrat – but the army immediately rejected the action as ‘incomplete’. The tiff took the electronic media by storm and social media became abuzz with speculation about a civil-military confrontation. #DawnLeaks became a top trend on popular microblogging site Twitter.
Nawaz Sharif ordered the action against Syed Tariq Fatemi, the special assistant on foreign affairs, and Rao Tehsin Ali, the principal information officer of the ministry of information, based on the recommendations of a committee which had been tasked to find out who was responsible for ‘leaking’ the news to Cyril Almeida of daily Dawn on October 6.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued an order, saying that Premier Sharif had approved the recommendations of the Inquiry Committee and proposed a set of four recommendations against the main characters involved in the saga. The notification – number 1707/M/SPM/2017 – issued by Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad said that the prime minister, after considering findings of the committee as to its terms of reference, “is pleased to approve its recommendations in para 18 of the report”.
Dawn leaks commission submits final report
It said that “allocation of portfolio of Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs [to] Syed Tariq Fatemi shall be withdrawn,” while the Press Information Officer [PIO] Rao Tehsin Ali "shall be proceeded against under the E&D Rules 1973 on the charges based on findings in the instant report”.
"The role[s] of Daily Dawn/Mr Zafar Abbas [Dawn’s editor]/ Mr Cyril Almeida in the instant matter shall be referred to [the] All Pakistan Newspapers Society [APNS] for necessary disciplinary action to be taken against them," the notification read. “The APNS would be asked to develop a code of conduct for the print media especially when dealing with issues relating to security of Pakistan.”
This notification was, however, immediately rejected by the military through its media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). "[The] notification on Dawn Leaks is incomplete and not in line with the recommendations by the inquiry board,” DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor wrote in a Twitter post. "[The] notification is rejected.”
Dawn leaks’ inquiry report will be made public: Dar
In the controversial story attributed to unnamed sources, Almeida had reported that in the high-level meeting on national security held on October 6 last year, the civilian leaders had spoken about ‘growing diplomatic isolation’ of Pakistan for lack of action against some militant groups. Reportedly the ISI chief was present in the meeting attended by a number of functionaries, including Premier Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif.
The new report had whipped up a storm and while the federal government had repeatedly denied it as ‘fabricated and planted’, the military brass had called it a breach of trust on national security.
Within weeks after the publication of the story, then federal information minister Pervaiz Rashid was sacked ‘for lapse on his part,’ to stop the publication of the story. However, the army had pushed for further investigation.
Army rejects PM Office statement on Dawn Leaks report
Later on Nov 7, 2016, the interior ministry notified a seven-member committee – headed by Justice (retd) Aamer Raza Khan – to probe the controversy. The panel was supposed to submit its report within next 30 days. However, later on it was given one-month extension by the ministry to complete its task.
One member each from the ISI, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau were included in the panel. Establishment Secretary Tahir Shahbaz, Punjab’s Ombudsman Najam Saeed and the Federal Investigation Agency Director Usman Anwar were also part of the committee.
The committee – assigned the job to establish the identity of those who allegedly planted the story – submitted its report after much delay to Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan last Tuesday, who forwarded it to the prime minister on Wednesday.
Dismissing ‘media hype’: Institutions must not communicate via tweets: Nisar
Sources told The Express Tribune that Premier Sharif had not reviewed the matter since he was on a political visit to Okara on Saturday. “It is expected that he would chair a meeting today (Sunday) to review options, including withdrawal of the notification that mainly holds Fatemi and Tehsin responsible while bailing out the big guns,” said an official.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, the premier’s adviser Amir Muqam said he was clueless about the Prime Minister House's future course of action. "I haven't been able to communicate with the PM. As soon as I get in touch with him and get to know the policy line, I'll share," he said.
A controversy stirred up by a ‘planted news story’ about a high-level security huddle took a turn for the worse on Saturday when the prime minister sacked one of his top aides and a senior bureaucrat – but the army immediately rejected the action as ‘incomplete’. The tiff took the electronic media by storm and social media became abuzz with speculation about a civil-military confrontation. #DawnLeaks became a top trend on popular microblogging site Twitter.
Nawaz Sharif ordered the action against Syed Tariq Fatemi, the special assistant on foreign affairs, and Rao Tehsin Ali, the principal information officer of the ministry of information, based on the recommendations of a committee which had been tasked to find out who was responsible for ‘leaking’ the news to Cyril Almeida of daily Dawn on October 6.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued an order, saying that Premier Sharif had approved the recommendations of the Inquiry Committee and proposed a set of four recommendations against the main characters involved in the saga. The notification – number 1707/M/SPM/2017 – issued by Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad said that the prime minister, after considering findings of the committee as to its terms of reference, “is pleased to approve its recommendations in para 18 of the report”.
Dawn leaks commission submits final report
It said that “allocation of portfolio of Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs [to] Syed Tariq Fatemi shall be withdrawn,” while the Press Information Officer [PIO] Rao Tehsin Ali "shall be proceeded against under the E&D Rules 1973 on the charges based on findings in the instant report”.
"The role[s] of Daily Dawn/Mr Zafar Abbas [Dawn’s editor]/ Mr Cyril Almeida in the instant matter shall be referred to [the] All Pakistan Newspapers Society [APNS] for necessary disciplinary action to be taken against them," the notification read. “The APNS would be asked to develop a code of conduct for the print media especially when dealing with issues relating to security of Pakistan.”
This notification was, however, immediately rejected by the military through its media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). "[The] notification on Dawn Leaks is incomplete and not in line with the recommendations by the inquiry board,” DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor wrote in a Twitter post. "[The] notification is rejected.”
Dawn leaks’ inquiry report will be made public: Dar
In the controversial story attributed to unnamed sources, Almeida had reported that in the high-level meeting on national security held on October 6 last year, the civilian leaders had spoken about ‘growing diplomatic isolation’ of Pakistan for lack of action against some militant groups. Reportedly the ISI chief was present in the meeting attended by a number of functionaries, including Premier Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif.
The new report had whipped up a storm and while the federal government had repeatedly denied it as ‘fabricated and planted’, the military brass had called it a breach of trust on national security.
Within weeks after the publication of the story, then federal information minister Pervaiz Rashid was sacked ‘for lapse on his part,’ to stop the publication of the story. However, the army had pushed for further investigation.
Army rejects PM Office statement on Dawn Leaks report
Later on Nov 7, 2016, the interior ministry notified a seven-member committee – headed by Justice (retd) Aamer Raza Khan – to probe the controversy. The panel was supposed to submit its report within next 30 days. However, later on it was given one-month extension by the ministry to complete its task.
One member each from the ISI, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau were included in the panel. Establishment Secretary Tahir Shahbaz, Punjab’s Ombudsman Najam Saeed and the Federal Investigation Agency Director Usman Anwar were also part of the committee.
The committee – assigned the job to establish the identity of those who allegedly planted the story – submitted its report after much delay to Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan last Tuesday, who forwarded it to the prime minister on Wednesday.
Dismissing ‘media hype’: Institutions must not communicate via tweets: Nisar
Sources told The Express Tribune that Premier Sharif had not reviewed the matter since he was on a political visit to Okara on Saturday. “It is expected that he would chair a meeting today (Sunday) to review options, including withdrawal of the notification that mainly holds Fatemi and Tehsin responsible while bailing out the big guns,” said an official.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, the premier’s adviser Amir Muqam said he was clueless about the Prime Minister House's future course of action. "I haven't been able to communicate with the PM. As soon as I get in touch with him and get to know the policy line, I'll share," he said.