Copy of US diplomatic cypher surprisingly missing from PM House Record, Cabinet told

The federal cabinet on Friday held detailed deliberations on the issue of audio leaks and endorsed the decision of the National Security Committee (NSC) to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The cabinet was given a briefing on the issue of diplomatic cipher, during which it was revealed that the copy of diplomatic cipher in question surprisingly was missing from the PM House Record.

The meeting was told that though the entry of the receipt of cipher sent to the former prime minister was found in the record, but its copy, which is considered as the property of PM House as per law, was missing from the record.

The meeting, which termed the stealing of diplomatic cipher from the record as a serious matter, after detailed consultation constituted a special Cabinet Committee, which will determine legal action against all the involved characters including the former prime minister, ex-Principal Secretary to PM and senior former ministers.

The federal cabinet meeting, held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, however, expressed its strong concern over the fact that continuous surfacing of the audios of former PM, ex-Principal Secretary to PM and other people about the diplomatic cipher had exposed the criminal conspiracy of the previous government and former Prime Minister Imran Niazi, a press release issued by the PM Media Wing here said.

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The meeting noted that vital national interests were damaged by giving concocted meaning to a diplomatic cipher for political gains and it [the cipher] was stolen after “fraud, forgery and fabrication”.

It was a strong violation of the constitutional oath, other related laws and regulations, particularly the official secret. It was the act of unpardonable crimes against the state through which political interests were given priority over vital national interests.

Therefore, it was necessary under the constitution, law and rules to investigate the issue in detail and those found responsible be given severe punishment in accordance with the law.

Besides the representatives of the government’s allied parties, the Cabinet Committee will comprise the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Interior and Law and Justice.

The cabinet strongly condemned the maltreatment of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on a London road by the workers of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) including harassment, threatening, chasing and abusing.

It was stated in the meeting that such negative behavior was not allowed even against men in Islam, Western civilization, law and political culture, let alone women. “It is just hooliganism, which cannot be permitted by any society.”

The meeting appreciating the exemplary tolerance of Marriyum Aurangzeb lauded his spirit, courage and bravery and expressed complete solidarity with her.

It was noted in the meeting that PTI and its leadership was used to not only mistreating its political rivals, especially the women but also always adopting a condemnable attitude against female journalists.

Besides, the meeting noted that PTI and its Chairman’s attitude against women have generally been biased, partial and insulting, which is strongly condemnable. All Pakistanis including every segment of the society should condemn this unacceptable attitude.