Dawn leaks: Court reserves decision on Rao Tehseen's plea

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court on Thursday heard a petition of Rao Tehseen Ali, former principal information officer (PIO), challenging his removal from the post in the wake of the Dawn leaks inquiry recommendations, ARY News reported.

Prime minister’s former special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi and PIO Rao Tehseen Ali were dismissed from their posts following the recommendations of an inquiry committee that probed the leak of information about a high-profile meeting between the civilian and military leaders in Karachi-based English newspaper.

Tehsin appeared before the court with his lawyer Barrister Waseem Sajjad. Rao Tehsin’s lawyer argued before the bench that getting report of the inquiry committee has been constitutional right of his client.

The inquiry report has tarnished the career of Rao Tehsin but he was not even given the copy of that report, the lawyer said.

Former Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed was the first who bore the brunt of the fallout of the news leak as the PML-N government relieved him from his portfolio on Oct 29.

Tehseen petitioned the high court challenging the allegations leveled against him in the inquiry report and his subsequent suspension from the post.

In the petition, he submitted that his repute was tarnished as a result of the committee’s report holding him responsible for leaking the important information.

He lamented that he hadn’t received a copy of the report, yet he was removed from the post without him knowing his role in the leak.

The former PIO has in his petition held the federal government through the secretary information, secretary interior and the principal secretary to the PM and others as official respondents.

The petitioner pleaded to the court to issue directives to the concerned authorities to provide him a copy of the inquiry report. The court was further pleaded to declare his removal from the post as unlawful and unconstitutional.

The court reserved its decision about demanding the inquiry report of Dawn leaks from the federation.