Dawn Leaks issue: PM, top aides put their heads together

LAHORE: The PML-N leadership on Sunday gathered at the Jati Umra residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who called a meeting for consultations with his top aides over the recent strain in the civil-military relations.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and Principal Secretary to PM Fawad Hassan Fawad had flown in from Islamabad for this important meeting. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz and others were also present on the occasion.

The prime minister also had a one-on-one meeting with the Punjab chief minister. Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz Sharif said there should not be any tensions among the national institutions because all of them were working for the progress and development of the country. All the institutions were working within the ambit of the Constitution, he added.

This meeting was the result of a rather tense situation arising out of the action recommended vis-à-vis the News Leaks decision and the reaction in the shape of dissatisfaction expressed by the military through a tweet.

After the recommendations of the committee regarding those held responsible for the Leaks, a letter was issued with the signature of Fawad. It said the prime minister had directed for action against Principal Information Officer (PIO) Rao Tehsin Ali under the Efficiency and Discipline (E&D) Rules 1973 and withdrawal of the portfolio of the foreign affairs from Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to the PM.

Under the E&D Rules 1973, major penalties include removal or dismissal from service or reduction in ranks if an official is found guilty of releasing official secrets. The Establishment Division issued a notification shortly after this, removing Rao Tehsin as the PIO with directions to report to the division.

However, ISPR Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor in a tweet said, “The notification on the Leaks is incomplete and not in line with recommendations of the inquiry board. Notification is rejected”.

The evident disagreement between the government and the military regarding the nature or extent of action taken over the Dawn Leaks hinted at tensions between the two. The interior minister tried his hand at damage control through a presser; however, its impact seemingly wasn’t sufficient. All this had led the prime minister to address the issue before speculations heightened the civil-military tensions.

According to sources, it cannot be ruled out that thePML-N leadership discussed the likelihood of revisiting the actions proposed in the notification. Also, the meeting discussed a solution mutually acceptable to all stakeholders in this matter, whether previously a part of consideration or not.

Although, the PM Secretariat or the PML-N did not officially deny the media’s claim that Nisar has been tasked with mending fences between the government and the military, Maryam Nawaz denied any such assignment. In a tweet shortly after the meeting, Maryam said, “All statements being attributed to PM on media after the consultative meeting are incorrect. No one has been assigned any task by the PM.”