FIA summons ex-foreign secy in audio leaks case

Agency also serves notice to then principal secy to ex-PM Imran despite him being abroad

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood on October 28 in connection with its inquiry into the recent audio leaks in which the former rulers discussed how to “play on the US cypher”.

The agency has also served a notice to ex-premier Imran Khan’s then principal secretary Azam Khan to appear before its interrogators again on the same date to further probe into the matter.

However, Azam had failed to appear before the FIA on October 25 as he was “abroad with his family and would be back in the country by November 15”.

He assured the FIA that he would be back by then and join the inquiry but the FIA sent him a notice anyway.

As per details, on the instructions of the interior ministry, the FIA director general had formed a team led by the agency’s Islamabad Zone Director Rana Abdul Jabbar, to investigate the audio leak controversy.

The other members of the inquiry body included the FIA’s Cyber Crime Islamabad additional director, Counter Terrorism Wing deputy director, assistant director investigation officer, and officer members selected by the committee head.

The investigation team also included Grade-19 officers from three intelligence agencies.
The federal cabinet’s subcommittee had given an official nod earlier this month to initiate legal action against the PTI chairman.

According to FIA sources, the interior ministry had directed the agency to initiate proceedings against Imran, his political aides and then political secretary in connection with the audio leaks and the US cypher.

During the last month as well as the current one, a string of audio recordings, purportedly that of the PTI chief having conversations with his political aides on the US cypher – the one which the ex-prime minister claimed was a part of the “foreign conspiracy” to oust his government, had been leaked on social media by unidentified sources.

In one of them, Imran could be heard telling Azam about using the classified diplomatic cable for political purposes.

“We have to play with this. Don’t take America’s name, just play with this,” the PTI chief allegedly said in the audio clip.

To this, a second voice, claimed to be that of Azam, advised him that a meeting be held on the subject first.

“See, if you recall, in that [cypher] the ambassador has written in the end to [send a] demarche,” Azam allegedly responded.

“Even if the demarche is not to be sent, as I have thought a lot about it at night — you [Imran] said they raised it — I thought about how to cover all this,” he added.

Azam allegedly further advised Imran to hold a meeting with then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the foreign secretary.