PTI asks Supreme Court to probe audio leaks involving PM Shehbaz Sharif, other PMLN bigwigs

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has asked the Supreme Court to constitute an inquiry commission on audio leaks wherein Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with senior PMLN leaders, was found discussing a heinous strategy to oust the party from parliamentary politics in an illegal and unlawful manner.

The PTI, through its counsel Faisal Farid Chaudhy, filed a civil miscellaneous application on Saturday in the apex court, challenging the judgment of the Islamabad High Court on its resignations from the National Assembly.

The PTI said that recently some audio leaks had surfaced on social media inter alia containing some material disclosures with regard to the instant case wherein the incumbent prime minister and senior PMLN leaders, Rana Sanaullah, Khwaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq and Azam Nazeer Tarar, could be heard discussing a heinous strategy to oust the petitioner from the parliamentary politics in most illegal, unlawful and objectionable manner.

The PTI prayed the apex court to constitute an inquiry commission to inquire from the incumbent prime minister, Rana Sanaullah, Azam Nazir Tarar, Khwaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq and all others, including Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf and secretary of the National Assembly.

It further prayed that criminal proceedings may very graciously be lodged against the names mentioned inter alia for hatching a criminal conspiracy, violating their oath and subverting the Constitution.

The PTI submitted that the entire discussion revolved around a criminal strategy/conspiracy to affect and target the petitioner through (illegal and unlaw full) piecemeal acceptance of resignations tendered by its MNAs on April 11, 2022.

“The transcript and audio record are annexed herewith that may very graciously be read as integral part of the instant paragraph”, the PTI submitted.

The PTI alleged that the referred conspiracy had been hatched in connivance with Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf and the secretary of National Assembly, adding that this august court is already seized of the matter.

It contended that Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif in a press conference held on Sept 27, 2022, in Islamabad, had admitted the actuality and existence of the referred audio leaks.

Similarly, it added that Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had already admitted existence of the audio leaks.

“After the admission from the incumbent office holders, the revelations surfaced through the audio leaks are to be treated as new facts emerged during the pendency of the proceedings before this august court, therefore, request to take judicial notice of the startling revelation deemed most appropriate,” the PTI said.

It further submitted that the incumbent prime minster and cabinet members with aid of the incumbent speaker in violation of their oath and in utter disregard for the law and Constitution with a mala fide intention hatched and acted upon a criminal conspiracy against 123 elected members of the petitioner party with an objective to systematically de-seat them in violation of Article 64 and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business 2007, hence liable to be proceeded and tried accordingly.

It submitted that the adherence to law and the Constitution was inviolable duty of the incumbent federal government and also of the speaker.

“It is established beyond any doubt that the PM, federal ministers and the speaker have miserably failed to abide by the Constitution and law and their oaths,” the PTI contended.