Loose talk: Cabinet minister faces the music

Mushahidullah Khan asked to resign because of his irresponsible remarks to foreign media: Pervaiz Rashid

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan resigned Saturday, a day after his controversial interview with the BBC in which he claimed a former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had conspired to stage a military coup last year.

In the interview coinciding with the first anniversary of the marathon dharnas of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek in Islamabad, Mushahidullah said the conspiracy was foiled after the Intelligence Bureau (IB) – which was tapping some of ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam Abbasi’s telephone conversations – presented evidence of the plot to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who then informed army chief General Raheel Sharif.

“There were voices of several people in that tape. There was also (the) voice of Zaheer-ul-Islam Abbasi,” Mushahidullah had told the BBC.

The Prime Minister House immediately denied Mushahidullah’s claims and the existence of any such tape and sought an explanation from the minister. The army also dismissed the claim and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) called the story “baseless, unfounded and farthest from the truth”.



Talking to The Express Tribune, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Saturday that Mushahidullah has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “Mushahidullah has been asked to resign after his irresponsible conversation in an interview to the foreign media,” Rashid said, adding that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) always took stand on principles.

“Mushahidullah has been summoned back [from the Maldives] and he will call on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to explain his statement,” Rashid said.

An official of the Ministry of Climate Change also confirmed that the prime minister had ordered Mushahidullah back from the Maldives and asked him to resign.

“He left for the Maldives Saturday morning and was called back by the government after the controversy created by his interview,” a senior official in Mushahidullah office told AFP on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media. Mushahidullah had sent his resignation and was expected back in the country by late Saturday or Sunday, the official said.

According to APP, the information minister said the action was necessary because an alleged tape, which did not exist at all, was associated to the prime minister. He said the civil and military leaderships were on the same page to tackle challenges and defeat terrorism. “All state institutions are performing their roles in accordance with the Constitution,” he added.

Rashid said whenever the prime minister went abroad, the military leadership also visited the place some times before and after his visit. “Due to effective policies, the international community is acknowledging the services of Pakistan and paying tribute to it,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister House, however, said the resignation has yet not been accepted and the prime minister will decide about it in the coming days.

Sources in the ruling party and federal government said the demand for Mushahidullah’s resignation had come from a group in the party – led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif – and the party was divided over the issue. Sources close to Mushahidullah said he had spoken to the BBC off-the-record but his comments were made part of the interview.

“Immediately after the BBC published the story, the Khawaja Asif-led group started campaigning against him on the media, met the prime minister in Murree and later managed to convince him to summon Mushahidullah,” said a source, adding that Mushahidullah was not given a chance to clear his position.

He said Mushahidullah complained that Khawaja Asif had also made similar statements during a TV interview, which were also published in an English newspaper but Asif was neither summoned to give an explanation nor asked to resign.


Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2015.