Mirza Saleem Baig to fill sacked PIO Rao Tehsin's shoes for now

Baig handed over the charge until a permanent PIO is appointed

ISLAMABAD: Following Principal Information Officer (PIO) Rao Tehsin's removal from his post for his 'role' in Dawn Leaks, the information ministry temporarily handed over the charge to Mirza Saleem Baig on Wednesday.

Baig is currently serving as the director general of the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publicity Wing.

State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb told The Express Tribune that Baig would be overseeing the affairs until a permanent PIO was appointed.

The federal government is looking for an appropriate person to fill the vacant slot.



Tariq Fatemi, the prime minister's special assistant on foreign affairs, and Tehsin, were sacked after an inquiry committee held them culpable for the 'fabricated news story published in daily Dawn in October last year.

Pervaiz Rashid had also been asked to step down as federal information minister for his “failure to stop Dawn from publishing the story” that talked of differences between the civil and military leadership on how to deal with certain militant outfits.

While Rashid and Tehsin kept quiet, Fatemi decided to contest the allegations.

Dismissing the charges against him as ‘false and baseless’, Fatemi said the allegations were particularly hurtful to someone who had served Pakistan for nearly five decades with honour and integrity.