The federal government has decided to launch a forensic assessment of audio leaks claimed to PTI Senator Shaukat Tarin regarding the vital International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday.
On Monday, two audio clips of a man allegedly named Tarin directing the finance ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to inform the federal government as well as the IMF that they would not be able to commit to a regional surplus in light of the recent floods that have wreaked havoc in Pakistan surfacedsocial media.In a letter sent last week to the Ministry of Finance, KP Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra expressed his administration’s inability to produce a provincial surplus this year.
The ruling coalition said that the audios were nothing more than a plot to sabotage the government’s agreement with the major lender, which led to criticism of the PTI.
At a press conference held today in Islamabad, Tarar responded to the situation by saying: “Consultation with the interior and law ministries is underway […] we have decided on a full investigation of the audio conversations and once the consultative procedure is complete, it will be acted upon and action taken as per the law.”
Legal action will be taken against individuals who “raised their hands against the state or spoke against its interests,” according to the law minister.
The former finance minister’s dialogue and leadership against the state and its interests amounted to “hypocrisy and insurrection,” according to Tarar, who called the situation “extremely unpleasant.”He claimed that when they were appointed, government ministers signed vows promising to exclusively uphold the law in carrying out their jobs and not to pay attention to anyone else.
“It seems the PTI’s KP finance minister (Jhagra) strayed from upholding his oath after that talk, and the former finance minister (Tarin), whom this was not anticipated of, violated all boundaries and prioritised politics over the state,” said the PTI finance minister.