'Measures taken to secure PMO': Law Minister

After several audio leaks featuring purported conversation of Premier Shehbaz Sharif and his family members surfaced earlier this week, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday maintained that the state institutions had taken measures to secure the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and changed some standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Among multiple audio leaks, a voice, purported to be of PM Shehbaz, informed “a government official” about PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz looking to import machinery from India for a power plant, on the request of her son-in-law Raheel.

In another audio clip, a voice, said to be of Maryam Nawaz, was heard purportedly telling the premier that she was grateful for the support of someone who had been publicising as well as gatekeeping news from the public as per her demand.

“Our state institutions have carried out an exercise to secure the PMO,” the law minister said while addressing a news conference in the federal capital.

Delineating the security measures, Tarar noted that a few SOPs had been changed keeping in view the sensitivity of matters discussed at the Prime Minister’s House.

“Some SOPs have been changed which I think is a government responsibility as oftentimes many sensitive matters are discussed in such places and there should be an environment where you are 100 per cent satisfied that you are making national decisions in a secure environment,” the law minister observed.

Tarar noted that discussion regarding a “cleansing process” was under way, adding that the government was pondering over the steps to be taken in future.

He maintained that basic SOPs were already in place for “sensitive buildings” and that directives had further been given to make security measures effective and prevent any such breaches in the future.

Tarar said former premier Imran Khan's “irresponsible and conspiratorial” narrative on cypher had been revealed before the nation.

He was referring to the audio conversation purportedly between the PTI chairman and his principal secretary Azam Khan at the time, discussing the diplomatic cypher that the ex-prime minister had been claiming was a “foreign conspiracy” to oust his government.

"The painful thing is, when you're in high constitutional offices, more than the political interest, your oath makes you bound to take decisions in the greater national interest," he said.

He suggested that the PTI chief had played a “dangerous game” with the country, adding that Azam should have realised that he was a state servant and must not have advanced the political party's agenda.

“Imran conspiracy narrative has been exposed before the people. He preferred personal interest over national interest. The former premier adopted irresponsible behaviour on the cypher issue,” he said.

“We should take such decisions which were in the interest of the state. The former prime minister played a dangerous game against the country's interest,” he added.