Dawn Leaks: Why government issued the controversial notification
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ISLAMABAD: The controversy behind the government notification of the Dawn Leaks report seemed to be resolved as the true intent behind the government move has been revealed.
Sources reveal the incomplete notification was intentionally issued in order to take away the media and opposition strong criticism over the Prime Minister meeting with the Indian steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal.
The notification issued on Saturday ordering the removal of PM’s Foreign Affairs Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer Rao Tehseen from their official positions was issued at a time when the government was facing ire from the political and public quarters following a secret meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jandal in Murree on Wednesday.
Prior to that, the calls from opposition parties and legal fraternity demanding the PM to step down over the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panamagate case have also subsided.
“The hue and cry over the Dawn Leaks notification has greatly helped put on the backburner the debate over the premier’s meeting with Jandal. There is a sigh of relief in the party’s top ranks,” commented a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker, who has cordial ties with the security establishment, requesting anonymity.
“The notification controversy can well be taken care of. The government has options to appease the security bosses like official withdrawal of this notification or discarding it unannounced, issuance of fresh notification or any related order.”
The government was more concerned over the debate ignited by the prime minister’s meeting with Jandal and growing calls from mainstream opposition parties demanding the prime minister to step down to pave the way for a fair probe by the Joint Investigation Team set up by the apex court to ascertain the involvement of the Sharif family in the Panama Leaks scandal.
“Top politicians, including Imran Khan, Asif Ali Zardari and top lawyers, cashing in on the situation to attack and target the ruling brass, Nawaz in particular, triggered panic in the ruling circles. Now, everything appears to have landed backstage,” said one of the premier’s legal wizards, desiring to be kept unnamed.