Abrupt resolution circumvent opposition’s plans in Senate

PPP and PTI legislators divided on the issue

An abrupt resolution of the Dawn Leaks issue poured cold water on opposition’s plan to come down hard on the government in Senate on Thursday.

Apparent amicable rapprochement between the civil and military authorities on alleged leaks of sensitive information to media of a high-level huddle in October last year, just a day before the start of a new session, not only frustrated  the opposition’s plans but also left them divided, providing a much-needed relief the ruling party was looking for.

Called on collective requisition of opposition parties, the Upper House debated gruesome murder of Mashal Khan, a student of Mardan University lynched by a mob inside the campus on conjecture of blasphemy; government not allowing the PTI to hold a press conference at the Press Information Department, an official facility used by ministers; and the issue of Dawn Leaks, amongst the long list of heavy agenda the opposition had proposed before summoning the session.



The new session is to continue for another two days — Friday has been earmarked to take up the remaining items on the opposition-proposed agenda, and Monday for official business — as decided by the house business advisory committee, a penal of senior lawmakers that meets before the start of a new session.

The PPP, the largest party in terms of numbers in the Upper House, differed with other opposition parties on the very concept of considering the information published in Dawn as breach of national security.

Discussion on the subject is to continue today (Friday). Interestingly none of the members from any of the opposition parties that took part in the Thursday’s debate broached the issue of alleged bugging of sensitive meetings by a purported media cell working under Prime Minister’s daughter Mariam Nawaz. In their written requisition request, opposition parties had specifically mentioned this “allegation of grave nature”.

The PTI, which had been at the forefront in criticising the government and actively pursuing the Dawn Leaks matter, appeared more amenable.

“If husband and wife reach out to some agreement amicably, it does not leave any room for the arbiter to carry on the case further,” Azam Swati, one of the most active PTI senators, quoted a local axiom.

Interestingly, Imran Khan’s party submitted an adjournment motion in National Assembly earlier in the day to have a discussion on post-Dawn Leaks matter resolution. Usually, impetuous to take the floor, PTI representatives appeared docile during the Senate session on Thursday.



None of the PTI senators pressed further after a policy statement from the state minister for information was read out in which she claimed that the PID is being used by ministers only for press conferences, and denying PTI representatives the facility was in accordance with rules.

Swati demanded of the government to make public the investigation report of the issue that remained a hot topic in the media more than six months, leading to all sorts of speculations and conspiracy theories.

The demand by the PTI lawmakers contradicted the viewpoint of PPP’s Farhatullah Babar who was first to take the floor. Disclosure of the contents of the probe report would further humiliate those having been held culpable, since the matter had already been settled, Babar opined.

“Withdrawal of the controversial tweet by ISPR and the closure of the potentially destablising Dawn Leak saga is a matter of satisfaction, but it is important to learn appropriate lessons from it to avert clash among state institutions in the future,” he remarked.

He also challenged the narrative that the Dawn Leaks breached national security. “The Dawn leaks spoke of divergence in views expressed in the meeting and if is true it should be seen as enhancing national security instead of undermining it. Such things are being said in parliament and in the media on a daily basis” he added.

The PPP senator questioned if the report of a meeting at the PM House had indeed breached national security, what about the January 17 report in the Times of London of a garrison meeting in Kharian which claimed 'Tensions had emerged within Pakistan's military with officers concerned that their powerful army is losing its superiority and standing'.

According to Babar, the report even listed the questions asked, claiming also that in reply the chief told the officers, "you do your job and let me do mine".

The formulation that the Dawn report was a breach of national security and blaming the newspaper also amounted to clamping new curbs on media freedom behind the facade of national security “that must not be allowed”, he said.

Babar also criticised tweeting institutional differences, saying that the ISPR tweet was most inappropriate, unfortunate and uncalled-for and should not have taken place in the first instance. He also recalled an earlier ISPR tweet “that hugely embarrassed the Iranian president” just when he set foot on the soil of Pakistan on his first state visit, expressing the hope that it would also be withdrawn. The withdrawal of the March tweet would enhance, and not undermine, the prestige of ISPR, he said.

He said that as a result of the Dawn Leaks, three trusted and competent professionals were sacked and it was not wrong if those sacked were not censured publicly.

Kamil Ali Aga of the PML-Q was intransigent in his party’s demand that the probe report be made public and that it was indeed a breach of national security.

Ruling party members were critical of media’s role during the saga, especially some TV anchors who, according to them, were creating chaos.

Amid this discord in the opposition ranks, the chairman Senate quoted constitutional provisions, clearly stating that the armed forces would work under civilian control.

Raza Rabbani also directed the government to brief Senate on five important issues -- the threatening statement from the Iranian military chief on an option of hot pursuit inside Pakistan; a statement by the Chinese envoy in India on Kashmir and CPEC; recent clashes between Pakistani and Afghan border forces; India moving the ICJ on Kulbhushan Jadhav; and Prime Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia to attend a security moot where he is also expected to meet the US president.