PM House ‘debugged’ to bar further leaks

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• Mobile phone data, laptops of employees being monitored
• No staffers allowed to take mobile phones inside
• Minister says orders given to make security measures effective

ISLAMABAD: A high-powered committee constituted to probe into the leak of informal conversations from the Prime Minister House is said to have combed and debugged the entire premises, which was also confirmed by a federal minister during a press conference on Thursday.

“They have conducted thorough inspection of the building,” a source told Dawn. The team was also monitoring mobile phone data and laptops of employees and officers of the PM House and Office.

Following a series of audio leaks over the last week, also featuring Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and former PM Imran Khan, a new standard operating procedure (SOP) has been implemented at the PM House under which no staff and officer was allowed to take their mobile phone inside the building. “The phones are collected at the entrance and retur­ned after office hours,” the source added.

PM Sharif had on Tuesday at a press conference called the controversial audio leaks a serious ‘security lapse’ and said a high-powered inquiry committee would probe into the fiasco.

On the other hand, a new cyber security department is being formed at the PM House to be headed by a director general. Waiters and low-ranked staff there were under a strict watch and their access to Prime Minister Sharif has been restricted.