Audio leaks: Two suspects arrested for PMO bugging, phone hacking

ISLAMABAD: The authorities on Monday arrested two suspects involved in the bugging and phone hacking of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), ARY News reported citing sources.

Sources privy to the development told ARY News that an intelligence agency has apprehended two hackers. Among the two suspects, one hacker belongs to Rawalpindi while the other hails from a city in Central Punjab.

Government sources have also confirmed the arrest of two suspects. Both suspects were in contact with the staff deployed on the PMO security, it emerged.

Sources say that the agency was investigating the suspects about their handlers.

Sources further disclosed that people deployed on the PM Office security would also likely to be arrested shortly in connection with audio leaks.

The arrests come after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week formed a high-powered committee led by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to probe the audio leaks featuring candid conversations between key government figures.

Read more: PTI seeks judicial probe into PM House audio leaks on resignations

Following this, the interior minister chaired the first meeting of high-level committee – constituted to oversee the investigation into the audio leaks from Prime Minister’s House (PMO) on last Friday.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, Cabinet Secretary, Secretary National Telecom, Secretary Information Technology (IT) and other officials.

During the meeting, Rana Sanaullah directed the high-level committee to complete the probe into audio leaks within two weeks under the terms of reference, which will be presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Audio leak saga

Several audios of the incumbent government including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former PM Imran Khan have been leaked on social media in a span of eight days.

The first audio was leaked last Saturday, which allegedly featured PM Shehbaz Sharif and a senior official, discussing PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz regarding the import of a power plant from India for her son-in-law.

Later on Sunday, two more audios were leaked on social media.

The first audio related to Imran Khan regarding the diplomatic cypher was leaked on September 28, while the second audio of Imran Khan with regard to the diplomatic cypher surfaced on September 30.

The National Security Committee (NSC) then approved the constitution of a high-powered committee led by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to probe the audio leaks.