Nisar says PM Nawaz, Army Chief informed about probe into ‘planted story’

PakistanToday

8 years ago

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Sunday said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif were briefed regarding an investigation into a Dawn story on a high-level meeting.

While addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Nisar said, “I shared with him [the PM] the details and recommendations. The PM asked me some questions and in principal approved the recommendations. He asked me to share them with the COAS. Ishaq Dar was also there in the meeting, so was Shahbaz Sharif.”

“Pervez Rashid should have told the journalist concerned that the news is incorrect and this should not be published in the national interest… and upon resistance he could have asked the editor of the newspaper, Zafar Abbas, not to run the story,” Nisar said while addressing journalists in Islamabad.

The prime minister, army chief and Chaudhry Nisar met in Quetta the day after the police academy attack, where the interior minister shared some details regarding the probe with the PM and Chief of Army Staff.

Nisar said the decision to remove the information minister from his seat was taken on the findings of initial investigation in the matter and the army was taken into confidence before announcing it publicly. He said an official inquiry will be conducted into the high-profile incident.