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1st LD Writethru: Pakistan Information Minister resigns over "security breach": PM office

Xinhua, October 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Pakistan Information Minister Pervez Rashid has resigned over leakage of details of a top security meeting in section of the media, local officials said Saturday.

Musadaq Malik, spokesman for the Prime Minister, confirmed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sought resignation from the information minister.

The Interior Ministry had started investigation as to who shared sensitive information of a meeting that was presided over by the prime minister and was attended by the top military leadership and key ministers.

An English daily had published details of the meeting which given an impression that there are "differences over policies between the political and military leaders."

Later the government and the military had taken a serious note of the reports and the government had initially banned the reporter from leaving the country. The order was later withdrawn.

A statement from the prime minister said the planned story related to the National Security Council and the National Action Plan meetings published in an English daily on Oct. 6 was a "breach of national security."

"Evidence available so far points to a lapse on part of the Information Minister who has been directed to step down from office to enable holding of an independent and detailed inquiry," the statement said.

The Prime Minister's Office said that an inquiry committee, including senior officers of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau, is being formed by the government to clearly apportion blame, identify interests and motives and expose all those responsible for this episode for stern action in national interest.

Malik said that the former Information Minister cannot be held responsible for the leakage of the information unless the investigation is completed.

"The investigation is underway and will be completed soon. Results of the investigation would be made public," he said, adding that the Interior Minister will announce details of the matter at a press conference. Endit