ISLAMABAD: Intelligence Bureau on Tuesday contradicted a news story that alleged the initiation of a report by the Bureau regarding links of 37 parliamentarians with defunct sectarian and militant organisations.
“Intelligence Bureau vehemently denies existence or initiation of any such report. The story is false, baseless and unfounded,” the bureau said in a statement issued here in response to a news story telecast by ARY News in its programme “Power Play,” hosted by Arshad Sharif on September 25.
According to the statement, Intelligence Bureau, premier intelligence agency, was fully committed to safeguarding national interest and security of the country. “Its officers/officials are working round the clock throughout length and breadth of the country, facing all kinds of risks emerging in the line of duty. Many operatives have even laid their lives while carrying out operations against terrorists/anti-state elements,” the statement said.
“IB’s active and incessant cooperation to LEAs (Law Enforcing Agencies) in combating threats to national security has led to neutralising scores of wanted militants, apprehension of their facilitators/abettors and busting of terrorists/anti-state networks having cross-border linkages/support,” it added.
IB’s contribution in countering threats to national security has regularly been brought to the notice of relevant executive authorities and parliamentary forums through reports and briefings, the statement said.
“Attributing such scandalous stories to Intelligence Bureau only undermines the morale of its personnel, diverting their focus from ongoing operations against terrorists and other anti-state elements; thus serving the interest of enemies of Pakistan. Intelligence Bureau reserves the right to take recourse to law against the instant, or any other unfounded malicious story,” the statement added.