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Pakistan minister resigns over ISI claims in BBC interview

Dubious

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Mr Khan had served as federal minister for the environment




Pakistani minister Mushahidullah Khan has resigned after giving an interview to BBC Urdu in which he accused a former intelligence chief of having plotted against the country's leaders.

Information Minister Pervez Rashid said Mr Khan's claims were "irresponsible and contrary to the facts".

Mr Khan said that a former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency had encouraged street protests last year.

A military spokesman said the allegations were "totally baseless".

The allegations date back to last year's street protests against the government, led by the opposition Tehreek-e-Insaaf party and cleric Tahirul Qadri.

Mr Khan - who served as climate change minister - said that at that time, the then head of the ISI, Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam had spoken about a plot to unseat the country's military and civilian leadership.

Mr Khan said a recording existed of Gen Islam inciting protesters to cause chaos and attack the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said that Mr Sharif had played the recording during a meeting with army chief Gen Raheel Sharif.

Information Minister Pervez Rashid flatly denied this. "No such thing ever happened," he said. "No tape was listened to or played," he added.

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Last year's clashes brought large parts of Islamabad to a standstill, including near Mr Sharif's residence
This is not the first time that such claims have been made about the ISI, says the BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad.

Earlier this year, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also accused Gen Islam of plotting against the government, although he was not reprimanded for his comments.

A former army brigadier associated with the Tehreek-e-Insaaf party has also said that Gen Islam had conspired to topple the prime minister and the head of the army.

Relations between Pakistan's civilian governments and the military have often been tumultuous, with three coups since independence.

Mr Sharif's government took office after Pakistan's first-ever civilian transfer of power.


Pakistan minister resigns over ISI claims in BBC interview - BBC News
 
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Senator Mushahid tenders resignation following ISI plot claims
By Our Correspondent
Published: August 15, 2015

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A file photo Mushahidullah Khan. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD: Senator and senior minister of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Musahidullah Khan has tendered his resignation over a comment he made claiming the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) plotted to topple the civil and military leadership during the PTI sit-ins last year.

In an interview to BBC Urdu at the first anniversary of the sit-ins, Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan said the conspiracy was foiled after a civilian intelligence agency, Intelligence Bureau (IB), intercepted a call of then ISI chief Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam who was allegedly giving instruction to create chaos during the sit-ins and take control of the PM House.

In a statement released on Saturday, Information Minister Pervez Rashid said Khan, who is currently in the Maldives, has sent his resignation to the prime minister.

Rashid added that the minister, on his return, will furnish his resignation and provide an explanation in person to the premier.

On Friday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Mushahidullah to explain the basis of his remarks.

Later during the day, the army’s spokesperson General Asim Bajwa also termed any reports about a “tape” as baseless rumours.

“The story about any tape recording as being discussed in media is totally baseless, unfounded and farthest from truth,” Bajwa said, adding, “Such rumours are irresponsible and unprofessional.”

The story about any tape recording as being discussed in media is totally baseless,unfounded &farthest from truth-1/2

— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 14, 2015

….Such rumours are irresponsible, and unprofessional-2/2

— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 14, 2015

In the interview, the senior minister disclosed that Islam had hatched a conspiracy to oust both Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and the prime minister.

The minister had claimed that the recording had been presented to the premier, who had subsequently passed it on to the army chief.

PTI demands executive action against Mushahidullah controversy

Earlier in the day, PTI leader Asad Umar demanded an inquiry into the allegations and that the prime minister should take action against them. However, if the allegations are proven false, then Mushahidullah “should be sacked from his job and thrown out of the party.”

If the DG ISI was actually involved , he and his accomplices…civil or military….should be tried for treason

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 15, 2015

Urging the premier to stop playing the “good cop, bad cop”, Umar demanded that the prime minister should take a clear stand and if he thinks there is any truth to the claims being made, then he should take action against those involved, or take action against his minister if he thinks the minister is lying.

The prime minister has to take a clear stand. If he agrees with his ministers he should order action against those who conspired

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 15, 2015

and if the PM thinks his ministers are lying then he has to order action against them. He cannot continue this good cop bad cop drama

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 15, 2015
Senator Mushahid tenders resignation following ISI plot claims - The Express Tribune

The Conspiracy League of Nawaz Sharif never stops amusing the populace. Every other month their ministers voice baseless claims of "conspiracy" by our brave men in the armed forces against their now proven rigged government of controversial mandate.
 
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I said it on a different thread that this was one of the option to take place and it did.

Whoever was involved in this or wasn't involved, was settled between the PM and the Army Chief. Case was closed last year and everything about this should now stop. This issue belongs to last year aka, the past.

IMO- The sitin happened at the peak of Zarab e Azab. The army wanted a distraction so they can wipe out the Taliban and not worry too much about collateral. The entire world was watching and talking about the sitin' while the army was in a fierce fight with the insurgents.
 
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