Newsgate committee begins work today Summons Pervaiz Rashid

LAHORE: The seven-member inquiry committee, formed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to probe a media leak leading to the publication of a ‘planted story’ in an English daily on October 6, has formally started summoning participants of the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting from Wednesday (today), The News has learnt.

In this connection, sources in the federal capital told this correspondent that the committee has summoned former federal minister for information Pervaiz Rashid for Wednesday (today) to record his statement.It was further learnt that the inquiry committee would also summon next week Cyril Almeida, who had reported the story.

As Cyril is yet to return to Pakistan from the US where he had gone to cover the elections, he may record his statement the next week soon after his return. Besides Cyril, the management of the  newspaper would also be summoned for statements next week. Furthermore, the committee would also record statements of all the participants of the NSC meeting held at the PM’s Office on Monday, October 3.

Sources further said, if needed, statements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and DG ISI may be recorded later.When contacted on Tuesday, Pervaiz Rashid confirmed that he had been summoned by the inquiry committee and he would appear before it. “I will go there and tell them all the truth. Nothing less than the truth,” the senator remarked.