Nawaz got Imran’s phone hacked through Modi, says Farrukh

FAISALABAD: State Minister for Information & Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said on Tuesday that targeting a phone number, which was earlier in the use of Prime Minister Imran Khan, through Israel spyware was very embarrassing, for which Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Safdar would have to be answerable.

Addressing a press conference here at Circuit House, he said the number was targeted when Imran Khan was an opposition leader and raising voice against corruption and Panama leaks. He said it was Nawaz's history of hacking phone numbers of politicians, judges, generals, heads of intelligence agencies, etc.

He said Nawaz Sharif and [Indian premier] Narendra Modi had deep-rooted friendship, adding that when the latter was getting hacked phone numbers in his country, the former [Nawaz] helped Modi by hacking phone numbers of the opposition leaders in Pakistan.

He said that Nawaz Sharif had refused to meet Hurriyat leaders because of his friendship with Modi. The minister said that investigation was underway and many characters involved in malware would be exposed.

“Why only Imran Khan’s number was hacked and not of anyone else from other political parties,” Farrukh asked. The minister said Nawaz Sharif would have to clear his position on the issue.