ISI, IB chiefs part of body to probe audio leaks

ISLAMABAD: The federal government Tuesday issued a notification to constitute a 12-member committee to probe the audio leaks from the Prime Minister’s House.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah will head the committee which also comprises federal ministers Sherry Rehman, Asad Mehmood, Aminul Haque, and Azam Nazeer Tarar as its members. The Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and federal secretary cabinet have also been included in the committee.

According to the notification issued by the Cabinet Division secretary, the DG ISI or his representative, DG IB, National Telecommunication and Information Security Board’s secretary, and technical experts from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Federal Investigation Agency will also be included in the committee.

The decision to constitute a high-powered committee to investigate the audio leaks of the Prime Minister’s House was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), which was also okayed by the federal cabinet.

The committee has been assigned the task and review the investigation into the cyber security breach and ensure that it covers all important aspects of the matter. It has also been asked to suggest measures to improve the protocols within seven days. The notification said the committee will also review the existing e-safety and cyber security procedures, broadly evaluate the existing capacity and vulnerabilities of government departments, reassess the risks associated with various electronic gadgets and suggest measures to develop the resilience of government offices against cyber-attacks within 15 days.

The committee will also submit short and medium-term recommendations for securing the sensitive data and information technology environment of important ministries and offices of strategic importance in the next 15 days. It will prepare a draft legal framework for developing a robust and secure cyber ecosystem that ensures seamless cyber security of government offices.