Pakistan: Prime Minister's House 'debugged' to prevent further audio leaks

A top panel constituted to probe the embarrassing audio leaks from the Pakistan Prime Minister's House has finished combing and debugging the sprawling premises on Friday, officials said. The issue of audio leaks hit social media last week, when a taped conversation between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his principal secretary Tauqeer Shah sent social media into meltdown.

Another audio of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's conversation with PTI leaders was leaked on Friday.

In the recent leaked audio, three PTI leaders including Asad Umer, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Azam Khan could be heard talking about the American cypher with Khan, the party's Chairman.

On Wednesday an audio clip featuring Khan talking about the alleged conspiracy to topple his government was leaked.

The combing of the premises nestled in the foothills of the Margalla was conducted days after the National Security Committee approved the formation of a high-powered committee to probe the audio leaks from the Prime Minister's Office that triggered demands for Sharif's resignation.

ALSO READ:

• Pakistan PM calls meeting of National Security Committee over audio leaks

• Pakistan: Courts send back 50 major corruption cases against PM Sharif, son

“They have conducted a thorough inspection of the building, and the team was also monitoring mobile phone data and laptops of employees and officers of the PM House and Office," the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Pakistan government on Thursday said it was taking necessary steps, including changing some standard operating procedures (SOPs) to secure the Prime Minister's House, under which no staff and officers were allowed to take their mobile phone inside the premises.

Many sensitive matters are discussed in important places where the environment should be such that everyone is 100 per cent satisfied with making national decisions in a secure environment, he added.