RAWALPINDI: The Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said Wednesday that the institution has no objection to the formation of a commission by the government to investigate the cipher issue.
DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar, while talking to a private news channel today, said that he had given a detailed view of the National Security Committee (NSC) session. “I had not given any political statement. During the NSC session, no service chief had talked about the existence of a conspiracy. I had given a statement as the spokespersons to the services chiefs.”
The armed forces’ spokesperson said that the services chiefs and the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (DG-ISI) had clarified the cipher issue. “It was said that neither a conspiracy was hatched nor any evidence was found pertaining to the conspiracy.”
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“It was an issue of national security, hence, all services chiefs and DG ISI were summoned there [in the NSC meeting]. I am the spokesperson of the services chiefs and I give clarification on their behalf.”
The DG-ISPR said that the officials were summoned there after finalising the agenda. He elaborated that it was not a matter of opinions but concerned data and records were taken to the forum including intelligence-based evidence.
The spokesperson said that It was not an opinion but the military top brass was properly briefed on the issue before the NSC meeting.
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Regarding the demands of the judicial probe into the cipher issue, Iftikhar clarified that the armed forces have no objection to the constitution of a judicial commission or its probe through any other forum.
“The previous government had options to constituting a commission and the present government has the same powers too. It is the authority of the government for constituting a commission.”
“As an institution, we will fully support and coordinate the government after receiving instructions [for the investigation]. We have given a complete stance [on the cipher issue] and we will give it again if it is needed,” concluded DG-ISPR.
