Pakistani minister resigns over allegations against military
KARACHI, AUG 15, 2015- A Pakistani minister has resigned after alleging the former head of military intelligence encouraged violent street demonstrations last year to try to unseat the government, the information minister said on Saturday.
In an interview to BBC Urdu on the first anniversary of the protests organised by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-eInsaf and Tahir-ul-Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehrik, Khan said the conspiracy allegedly involving the ISI was foiled after the Intelligence Bureau intercepted a call by former ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam.
The two men had vowed to bring down the government over allegations of election-rigging and corruption. Khan alleged that a civilian intelligence agency had recorded former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant-General Zaheer-ul-Islam instructing protesters to cause chaos. The tape had been played to the prime minister and chief of army staff, Khan said. He said he had not personally heard it.
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said Khan had submitted his resignation to the prime minister, who was considering it.
Khan said the conspiracy allegedly involving the ISI was foiled after the Intelligence Bureau intercepted a call by former ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam
Military spokesman Major-General Asim Bajwa quickly denied the allegation. (Compiled from Reuters and Hindustan
Times reports)