ISI is not able to find out source of audio leaks, IHC told

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) revealed on Wednesday that according to the report from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the source of the audio leaks could not be traced.

During the hearing of the cases involving the leaked audio conversations of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s son and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, Justice Babar Sattar questioned why the ISI submitted the report through the Ministry of Defence.

The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan responded that the report should have been filed through the Prime Minister’s Office. The ISI report indicated that the investigation required assistance from social media platforms.

The AGP emphasized that no intelligence agency, including ISI, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Intelligence Bureau (IB), was authorized by the federal government to tap audio conversations.

He mentioned that the FIA was complying with court orders by reaching out to telecom companies to identify the source of the recordings.

The Attorney General presented the Prime Minister Office’s report on the audio leaks to the court. He insisted that if any government agency was involved in recording the conversations, it was doing so illegally.

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The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) clarified that private audio leaks could not be broadcast by TV channels. The court questioned PEMRA’s actions, and the counsel assured that the matter was referred to the Council of Complaints for a decision.

The court expressed concerns about the balance between freedom of information and privacy, emphasizing the state’s responsibility to ensure both.

Counsel Aitzaz Ahsan argued for self-regulation, citing instances where the Constitution was not effectively implemented.

The court instructed the Attorney General to investigate if the Intelligence Bureau was authorized to record calls.

The IHC directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit a detailed report at the next hearing and warned that if the government failed to provide the required information, national and international amici curiae would be appointed.

The court also decided to involve senior journalists as amici curiae to address issues related to the code of conduct of TV channels. The hearing was adjourned, with the court urging relevant institutions to submit their replies and expressing frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the unauthorized recording of calls.