Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen was reportedly spied on by two government-controlled departments — neither linked to any defence organisation or the armed forces — after being tasked by his own party to monitor his activities and businesses as well as those of his family.
While Geo, citing sources, has reported that the departments monitored the same over several weeks, the claims have been categorically denied by the government.
Tareen’s residences in Islamabad and Lodhran were allegedly bugged, as were his sugar mills and other business interests. His activities, including meetings with politicians, businessmen and friends, were monitored and phone calls taped, the report said, adding that phone calls of all the members of his family were also allegedly recorded.
Three weeks ago, a team from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) had raided the head office of Tareen’s sugar mill and seized office records. It is not clear whether the raid was linked to the bugging operation or not.
Advisor to the Prime Minister (PM) on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar has, however, rejected the allegations, describing them as “fiction”.
He said that the allegation that Tareen and his family were spied on was “news” for him. “All concerns of those who were subject of the Sugar Commission inquiry [including Tareen] were raised by them in multiple cases before various high courts as well as the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”
