ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The seven-member Inquiry Committee to probe the Newsgate Scandal held its first meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, brushing aside objections raised by opposition parties over its formation.
Justice (retd) Amir Raza presided over the meeting of the Committee which also included Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar, Secretary Establishment Syed Tahir Shahbaz, Chief Ombudsman Punjab Najam Saeed, and one member each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB).
During the meeting, the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan apprised the Committee members about the progress made so far over Newsleak.
On October 6, DAWN Newspaper published a Story reported by Cyril Almeida which contained highly sensitive information about a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting. Though both the Civil and Military leadership called the DAWN Saturday ‘fabricated’ but yet took it as a “breach of national security”.
Later on November 29, Senator Pervez Rasheed was sacked from his Office of Information Minister over his negligence which led the false Story by Cyril Almeida be published in Dawn newspaper.
Last Monday, the federal government formed a seven-member Committee to investigate the Story but the Opposition Parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) rejected the Investigative Committee under a retired High Court Judge Amir Raza to investigate into the Dawn Story.
The PPP senior leader and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said that the formation of the Committee was nothing more than an eyewash while the PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that Justice (retd) Amir Raza had strong links with ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and was also a candidate of the PML-N for the slot of Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab; therefore, his credibility to conduct an independent and effective inquiry was highly questionable.
The PAT’s Ishtiaq Chaudhry and Barrister Iqbal Jaffri also filed petitions in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the appointment of Justice (retd) Amir Raza as head of Inquiry Committee, arguing that he had close ties with the Sharif family and also served as the Chairman of the Public Health Commission.
