Another alleged audio clip purportedly featuring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and party leader Musarrat Jamshed Cheema emerged on Thursday, wherein both apparently discussed his Tuesday's arrest and related case hearing at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), reported Dawn.
The purported audio leak came immediately after the Supreme Court termed Khan's arrest "invalid and unlawful." Nearly 72 hours after his arrest, the SC ruled that the former prime minister's arrest was not legal and directed him to appear before the IHC tomorrow at 11 am. It also said that Imran would be kept at the Police Lines Guest House, where he was previously being kept, and directed the government to guarantee the PTI chief's security.
In the audio -- posted by journalist Murtaza Shah -- a voice, suggested to be of Imran, could be heard telling Cheema to approach the top court, apparently against his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), reported Dawn.
In the alleged audio conversation that surfaced online earlier today, the PTI chief asked Cheema to direct Senator Azam Swati to challenge his arrest in the Supreme Court.
In the clip, which features the portaits of Imran and Cheema with an accompanying text in Urdu suggesting that it was recorded on May 10 -- the voice suggested to be the PTI chief asks Cheema if "they had received the message", to which Cheema says that his message had been sent. "We are sitting in the high court and we have told them that we won't leave until NAB produces you in court," she says, reported Dawn.
At that, Imran purportedly tells Cheema: "Also tell Azam Swati to approach the SC ... because what they have done is completely nullified." He could also be heard asking what "is the chief justice doing" and then said that "he doesn't give correct orders".
Also Read
The man suggested to be Imran reiterates: "Talk to Azam."
Meanwhile, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said the audio leak was doctored, reported Dawn.
"In this alleged audio release, the chief justice of the IHC is being mentioned and not the SC. And this new edit has been made out of a two-day-old conversation when Imran Khan was present in the IHC," he tweeted.
"The authorities must understand that nothing is gained from such actions. The main issue is the restoration of democracy and adherence to the Constitution," Azhar added.
Of late, a slew of audio leaks featuring key government and opposition figures -- including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, and others -- have surfaced on social media.
The clips, seemingly featuring informal conversations, had raised serious concerns regarding the security of government offices -- particularly the Prime Minister's Office.
PM Shehbaz had termed the surfacing of audio leaks a "very serious lapse" and announced that a high-level committee would be constituted to probe the matter.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
