Dawn leaks’ inquiry report finds no ‘solid proofs’ against Pervez Rasheed

ISLAMABAD: After submission of the Dawn leaks inquiry report to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the next came orders from the premier approving removal of his aide Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer Rao Tehsin from their posts, ARY News reported.

The inquiry report said the investigation body couldn’t find ‘solid proofs’ against then information minister Pervez Rasheed who was believed to have hand in leaking sensitive information to the newspaper reporter Cyril Almeida.

The inquiry commission headed by Justice (retd) Amir Raza, had hold three people responsible for the sensitive leak in its findings, informed sources said. The commission has recommended action against those responsible for the leak.

The government had constituted a four-member commission headed by former Lahore High Court Judge Amir Raza with a representative of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Military Intelligence (MI) to inquire into the matter.

The interior ministry had added the name of Cyril Almeida a leading columnist of the Dawn newspaper in the Exit Control List (ECL), over the article he wrote about an alleged rift between the government and the military.

The ministry on October 14 last year lifted travel ban on Almeida as a ‘good-will gesture’ but said that an inquiry into the ‘inaccurate and fabricated’ article would continue.

The military’s press wing issued a separate statement calling the article a ‘breach of national security’.