Dawn Leaks: Sacked Minister Pervaiz Rasheed breaks silence over the report
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ISLAMABAD: Former Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed who was sacked over the issue of the Dawn Leaks has broken silence over the controversial report.
Former information minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Wednesday that he fulfilled his responsibilities in the Dawn Leaks issue within the ambit of the Constitution.
Talking to Geo News after a ceremony held here to mark the International Day for Journalists, Rashid said that he informed the journalist Cyril Almeida of the actual situation as much as he could and gave his own point of view on the matter too, but “he had already made up his mind”.
The story, published in Dawn newspaper on October 6, 2016 by Almedia, had stirred a major controversy last year resulting in Almeida coming under fire from the military and government and being temporarily placed on the Exit Control List.
“Rejection of news on my part would have not changed his point of view in any way,” Rashid added.
“On the Dawn Leaks issue, I did what is done in a democratic society,” he said.
Commenting on the criticism meted out to him for not having done enough to stop the news from publishing, Rashid said that if the state wants an information minister whose job is to stop news from publishing then universities should start offering a “How to block a news” course.
The former minister added that he cannot comment before the full Dawn Leaks report is published, and will give his point of view after he has seen charges against him.
