Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that state institutions have taken steps to secure the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and changed some standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“Our state institutions have carried out an exercise to secure the PMO and ensure [security],” he stated.
“Some SOPs have been changed which I think is a government responsibility as oftentimes many sensitive matters are discussed in such places and there should be an environment where you are 100 per cent satisfied that you’re making national decisions in a secure environment,” he told reporters.
He explained that basic SOPs were already in place for “sensitive buildings”, adding that further orders have been issued to make security measures effective and
“It will be an effort to introduce a culture and environment, not just in the PMO, but in all departments where you can ensure that sensitive information will not be leaked.”
These steps were taken after several audio leaks surfaced of PM Shehbaz and former PM Imran Khan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had informed Imran Khan multiple times that the PM House is unsafe for important conversations.
“The army chief told Imran Khan that the points that what we discuss here is recorded and leaked later on,” he said, adding that, “General Bajwa had said Nawaz Sharif stepped out of PM House when he wanted to talk to him about some vital issue.”
The PTI leader said that it is unacceptable for PM Office to be hacked, regardless of who is premier — whether Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif or Imran Khan.
