Pakistan

Senator Mushahid tenders resignation following ISI plot claims

Senior PML-N leader had claimed former ISI chief planned to topple civil and military leaderships during PTI sit-ins

Our Correspondent August 15, 2015

A file photo Mushahidullah Khan. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD: Senator and senior minister of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Musahidullah Khan has tendered his resignation over a comment he made claiming the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) plotted to topple the civil and military leadership during the PTI sit-ins last year.

In an interview to BBC Urdu at the first anniversary of the sit-ins, Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan said the conspiracy was foiled after a civilian intelligence agency, Intelligence Bureau (IB), intercepted a call of then ISI chief Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam who was allegedly giving instruction to create chaos during the sit-ins and take control of the PM House.

In a statement released on Saturday, Information Minister Pervez Rashid said Khan, who is currently in the Maldives, has sent his resignation to the prime minister.

Rashid added that the minister, on his return, will furnish his resignation and provide an explanation in person to the premier.

Read: Troubling claims: ISI ex-chief plotted to topple govt, says Mushahid

On Friday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Mushahidullah to explain the basis of his remarks.

Later during the day, the army’s spokesperson General Asim Bajwa also termed any reports about a “tape” as baseless rumours.

“The story about any tape recording as being discussed in media is totally baseless, unfounded and farthest from truth,” Bajwa said, adding, “Such rumours are irresponsible and unprofessional.”

The story about any tape recording as being discussed in media is totally baseless,unfounded &farthest from truth-1/2
— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 14, 2015

....Such rumours are irresponsible, and unprofessional-2/2
— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 14, 2015

Read: Nawaz asks Mushahidullah to explain claims made in BBC interview

In the interview, the senior minister disclosed that Islam had hatched a conspiracy to oust both Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and the prime minister.

The minister had claimed that the recording had been presented to the premier, who had subsequently passed it on to the army chief.

PTI demands executive action against Mushahidullah controversy

Earlier in the day, PTI leader Asad Umar demanded an inquiry into the allegations and that the prime minister should take action against them. However, if the allegations are proven false, then Mushahidullah “should be sacked from his job and thrown out of the party.”

If the DG ISI was actually involved , he and his accomplices...civil or military....should be tried for treason
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 15, 2015

Urging the premier to stop playing the “good cop, bad cop”, Umar demanded that the prime minister should take a clear stand and if he thinks there is any truth to the claims being made, then he should take action against those involved, or take action against his minister if he thinks the minister is lying.

The prime minister has to take a clear stand. If he agrees with his ministers he should order action against those who conspired
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 15, 2015

and if the PM thinks his ministers are lying then he has to order action against them. He cannot continue this good cop bad cop drama
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 15, 2015

COMMENTS (18)

JAVAID BASHIR | 9 years ago | Reply Good Riddance. Paid the price for his sin. He purposely maligned the ISI former Chief Zaheer Ul Islam..His statement could not be substantiated with any concrete evidence. His Claims were false. He caused embarrassment to the government.His interview to BBC finally did him in.

hud hud | 9 years ago | Reply Let PTI stop shedding crocko tears. Mushahid said little new, though PTI is trying to raise a storm in a tea cup. Earlier Dawn itself had reported "A PTI man, retired Brig Simon Sharaf, said in a talk-show that the party had been in contacts with the ISI during the sit-in and claimed that then ISI director general Lt Gen Zeheerul Islam, along with a few others, was supporting the protest, anticipating an action against the army chief by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif out of nervousness".

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Ajraki | 9 years ago | Reply Truth is a bitter pill

Blithe | 9 years ago | Reply The truth must come out. Brig Samdsin brought this story to the fore. If he was fabricating the story , why no court Marshall ???

Imran Qadri | 9 years ago | Reply Any sensible person could have easily guessed that opportunist, power hungry Imran(PTI) & Qadri couldn't have sustained dharma drama for even few days without the support and patronage of some one powerful (like some remnants of ex dictator Musharraf. Now that dharma has failed and judicial inquiry has proven PTI wrong so they should apologize to the nation and reveal the whole truth to pakistani public about sinister plan to oust democratic government using unconstitutional means.

Khan Gul | 9 years ago | Reply An impartial enquiry should be launched. The nation must be told the truth.

Proud Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply Chief of Army Gen Rahil is a good honest and loyal to country soldier - it doesn't mean everyone in the army has same character. There's corruption everywhere and in army there's organized corruption at top level leading to the martial law - three times in the history of Pakistan. So you can't say that Mushahidullah statements are wrong - yes they are not required at the moment because 'end is well all is well' I mean dharna drama failed badly. As far as Asad Umar is concerned he's and PTI are answerable to country men, for whom and who were supporting PTI and Qadri during whole dharna drama when they had no evidences to provide in court except imran's false and baseless statements on container. By the way now Asad umar and PTI should tell what's the role of Gen Pasha and others colleagues of Musharraf and Musharraf himself during dharna drama.

Mudassir | 9 years ago | Reply Why Judicial commission isn't being formed to find the truth.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply good try again to get attention divert of this forgetful nation against kasur incident as it is always. i am amazed how lunatics spitting venom with no reason against pti but they never remember 14 dead in model town, myriad corruption scandles, heinious crimes of these 90s grown thugs and looters.

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply Every time I read about these kind of stories, it makes me think about those poor patriotic Pakistanis who gave up their lives during protests. If any of these allegations are true, which they probably are, those poor souls were only used as pawns in this entire drama.

Acorn Guts | 9 years ago | Reply Finally some civility from these untouchables. Now try him for defamation .. resignation does not compensate for the damage he has done.

shahid | 9 years ago | Reply @Fuad: They are so full of hatred, he and others, Khwaja and Shanaz,jumped and reacted on lies spitted by that Baghi, who thinks he is superman ?? That Baghi is the one who was spitting venom against PTI, and feeding what N league wanted to hear.. blind from eyes and blind in the brains, these 3 in N league vomited.

raheel | 9 years ago | Reply It is true that PTI & PAT were directed in the Dharna. Mushahid was speaking something un-usual, if so then Nawaz ask fro resignation from every Pakistani who has the common sense to understand very basic details. By the way who asked Tareen and qureshi to join PTI, the fact lies in it.

Ali khan | 9 years ago | Reply Try this minister for treason. He wants to destroy the trust built between armedforces and the civilian government. He needs to be sued for defemation too. For attacking the image of pakistan.

Fuad | 9 years ago | Reply The statement by Mushahidullah is not a figment of his imagination. The events described in media talks by Mushahidullah, Brig Samson, & Kh Asif have been the echoing in drawing rooms of Islamabad many many months ago.

Ch Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply Its the most important task for General Raheel, first to tell the truth and then punish those rouge elements who were involved. He is one who saved Democracy and Prime Minister from Anarchists and Fake Revolutionary Thugs. Therefore he must not sweep this issue under the carpet. Prime Minister and his government has lost their legitimacy to rule because they did not fight back and ran away from Islamabad like cowards.

mir jafar | 9 years ago | Reply waiting for hamid mir's apology and defamation

Punjabi | 9 years ago | Reply Truth will come out for sure one day. I am waiting for the day when these sacrifices will usher in an era of true democracy.

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