The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has distanced itself from the recent incident of torture on an Islamabad-based journalist.
A high-level contact took place between Federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the country’s premier intelligence agency on Saturday, wherein the ISI maintained that it has no connection at all with the incident of torture on Asad Ali Toor. “The continuity of such allegations shows that the ISI is being targeted as part of the Fifth Generation Warfare under an organized conspiracy. The ISI is of the view that when the faces of the accused can be clearly seen in the CCTV footages, the investigation should go ahead and strict action should be taken against those responsible,” Information Minister Fawad Ch said. “The ISI is ready to fully co-operate with the relevant investigating agencies in this regard,” he added.
Fawad said the Ministry of Information is in touch with the Islamabad Police regarding the case and has expressed hope that the accused will be nabbed soon. “The tradition of hurling allegations at state institutions without any cogent evidences should stop now, as such acts are part of a conspiracy against the country’s institutions,” he said. “The real characters behind such incidents will be exposed soon,” he added.
In a separate tweet, Information Minister Fawad Ch asked Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to better concentrate on uniting (his own divided) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) instead of wasting his energies on the scattered opposition. The minister said his (Shehbaz’s) boat is in a whirlpool, and if he came out of it, then Maulana Fazlur Rehman is already there to create chaos and anarchy in the country. He said if the opposition parties are serious, then the government is ready to hold talks on the electoral reforms. The negotiations would be held with the parliamentary leaders of opposition parties and not the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement), which is a mixture of ill-assorted parties having divergent views and agendas, the minister added.
In yet another tweet, Fawad Chaudhry said using religion card against anyone for personal vendetta is highly ‘despicable’. He said the Lahore police must take action against Member of Provincial Assembly from Punjab Nazeer Chohan for using the third-rated tactics against Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar. The minister said Shahzad Akbar is doing his job, and the state cannot function if it fails to safeguard its officials against such attacks.
