LONDON: The so-called ‘Dawn leaks’ affair was never a conspiracy, seasoned diplomat Tariq Fatemi said on Monday.

‘Dawn leaks’ refers to the kerfuffle surrounding a story published in this paper in 2016, which detailing a high-level civil-military meeting discussing banned outfits operating in Pakistan. The publication of the story was seen as a major breach by military establishment at the time, and an inquiry committee was formed by then-interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, comprising senior members of all the top intelligence agencies to investigate the matter.

In 2017, months after the story was published in Dawn, then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif removed Mr Fatemi as his aide on foreign affairs as tensions between the government and military escalated. The story also led to the firing of then-information minister Pervaiz Rashid.

Talking to reporters in London on Monday, Mr Fatemi stressed that the most powerful opinion in this regard came from former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, “who himself said there was no such thing as Dawn leaks”. “My heart was clear. I have been a professional diplomat for the last 50-plus years,” Mr Fatemi said.

Senior diplomat says cipher had to be treated with sensitivity

When asked if the controversy was stirred to gain an extension by the then army chief, Mr Fate­­mi said, “Those who did it have now accepted it.”

He added, “Even then, I did not give any comment to any media. I knew the truth would come out one day, and I am grateful that it has come out in my lifetime.”

Mr Fatemi also confirmed his meeting with PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif on Monday. “I have long-standing family relations with Mian sahib. I was in London, so I came here,” he said outside Stanhope House.

He did not comment on questions about President Arif Alvi, PTI’s Shah Mehmood or Imran Khan, saying instead that “I am on holiday”.

On the issue of “cipher” — a diplomatic cable detailing a meeting held last year between Pakistan’s then-ambassador to the US and senior State Department officials — Mr Fatemi said: “Cipher is a very sensitive and highly privileged information that is made available to only a few people.”

He stressed that the cable had to be treated with the same sensitivity it deserved. “Forget jalsas, it is not allowed to leave the room,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023