IB chief admits collecting low-downs of JIT members

It is a matter of political concern, Aftab Sultan tells Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Aftab Sultan has confirmed that information on members of the joint investigation team (JIT) – tasked with investigating the Sharif family’s offshore properties – were gathered because of the high-profile nature of the Panama Papers case.

In a two-page letter submitted to the top court on Saturday, Sultan said how the low-downs were leaked was a matter of political concern, and the issue was already under investigation.

As a regular practice, Sultan said, the department collects low-downs of government officials and other subjects of interest on important positions.



In its response on Friday, the IB had denied allegations of hacking of the Facebook accounts of JIT member Bilal Rasool or his family.

“Low-down on a member of the JIT were done under the standard operating procedures. Thus, the allegations levelled against the IB were vehemently denied,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister House has accused the JIT of tapping phones and monitoring witnesses, which is in violation of the law and the Constitution.

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali raised serious doubts over JIT’s performance, accusing it of spending too much time and energy on ‘monitoring the media’.

In a four-page response which he submitted in the Supreme Court, AGP Ashtar maintained that the JIT application spanned more than 120 pages, containing news articles, screenshots of statements, tweets and messages gathered from social media.