When someone needs to be blackmailed, their audio clip is released: Imran Khan
LAHORE, Feb 19 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of how an audio clip was recorded and leaked featuring PTI leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid and former Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.
In the audio recording that surfaced on social media earlier this week, both Yasmin Rashid and the Lahore police chief can allegedly be heard discussing the top court’s verdict from a day earlier reinstating Dogar as CCPO after suspending his transfer orders made by the provincial caretaker government last month.
“When someone needs to be blackmailed, their audio clip is released,” Imran said during an address, flanked by Yasmin Rashid. He said that three PTI leaders were also being blackmailed with deep fake videos.
He also expressed concern about the use of phone-tapping for political gains. He questioned whether Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan had obtained permission from the court before tapping phones, since the law prohibits the tapping of anyone’s phone.
Referring to an earlier leaked conversation over landline allegedly featuring his wife, he said Bushra Bibi’s privacy and fundamental rights were violated with the unlawful phone-tapping. He also said that his conversation with his principal secretary was also recorded and leaked unlawfully when he was still the country’s prime minister.
He said that he had filed a petition with the Supreme Court four months ago to address this violation, and urged the judges to take note of the latest phone-tapping as well, saying the “blackmailers” would continue if this trend is not stopped.
The PTI Chairman said Dogar was part of the JIT in the assassination attempt on him and that he had said that there were three assailants. “As soon as the caretaker government assumed office, Dogar was transferred and in his place, our worst opponent was appointed as CCPO.”
Imran Khan urged the judiciary to take notice against the audio leaks, saying taping conversation was a violation of basic rights.
Imran Khan stressed the need for the implementation of the law in connection with the leaked audio tapes, saying, “There exists a law in the country regarding the audio tape.”
On the occasion, Dr. Yasmin Rashid announced that she would approach the courts following the audio leak, requesting the judiciary to determine which agency or institution was involved. Yasmin Rashid lamented the evidence regarding the assassination attempt on Imran Khan was not being presented.
She said, “The former CCPO was the JIT’s convener over the assassination attempt on the PTI chief. The PDM had disappeared along with the evidence in connection with the Wazirabad incident”. Yasmin Yasmin said, “As per the Fair Trial Act, nobody’s phone could be taped.”