Senior Pakistani Minister Forced to Resign Because of His Claim of Coup by Pak Spy Agency

August 15, 2015

Pakistani minister resigns over allegations of spy agency coup 

A senior Pakistani minister has resigned after claiming that the country’s former spy chief wanted to overthrow the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, through violent demonstrations in Islamabad last year. Mushahid Ullah Khan submitted his resignation as environment minister on Saturday, the information minister, Pervez Rashid, said. It was not clear whether Sharif would accept Ullah Khan’s offer to quit. 

The resignation of Ullah Khan, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, came a day after the BBC’s Urdu service broadcast an interview in which he claimed that Zaheer-ul-Islam, a former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, was behind last year’s anti-government rallies organised by opposition leader Imran Khan and fiery cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. 

Three people were killed and more than 500 wounded in the two months of protests. Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri had vowed to bring down the government over allegations of election-rigging and corruption.

Ullah Khan alleged that a civilian intelligence agency had recorded Zaheer-ul-Islam instructing protesters to cause chaos. The tape had been played to the prime minister and chief of army staff, Ullah Khan said, but he had not personally heard it. The military denied Ullah Khan’s claim and Sharif’s government said it was not aware of any such conspiracy.

The comments have again highlighted the fragile balance between Pakistan’s fledgling civilian government and its powerful military, which has a history of mounting coups.

Military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa denied the minister’s claims. “The story about any tape recording as being discussed in media is totally baseless,unfounded &farthest from truth,” he tweeted. “Such rumours are irresponsible, and unprofessional.”

The interview fanned speculation in a nation where the relationship between the civilian government and the military is constantly scrutinised for any hint of tension.

Sharif’s victory in 2013 elections marked Pakistan’s first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power. Relations between the government and military were initially rocky, and the demonstrations fed national unease. Since then, relations have improved as Sharif has aligned his position on security and foreign policy more closely with the military.