Pakistan federal Information Minister Parvaiz Rasheed has resigned from his position as Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage.
News channels quoted sources as saying that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Pervaiz Rasheed to resign from his post.
The development comes after the publication of daily Dawn’s story  “Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military”, which reported details of a high level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistan’s banned outfits.
The report of the high-profile security meeting has forced the government to initiate an inquiry to identify the person responsible for its leak.
Sources also said Rasheed’s portfolio was taken away after a preliminary inquiry was launched by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
They added that the premier has ordered a formal inquiry as to whether Rasheed was involved in the leak from the meeting.
PM spokesperson Musadiq Malik said, “A committee has been formed for the investigation of Dawn’s story and investigations have entered the final phase.”
“Pervaiz Rasheed was responsible for the Information Department and he is temporarily suspended from his post until investigations conclude,” Malik added.
“The committee was formed because no conclusive evidence has come forth. The details are with the committee Ch Nisar was heading,” he said, adding that a press conference will be held by the interior minister today (Sunday).
“The investigation report will only come when the investigation is over. The investigation is being done with all sobriety, all responsible will be punished.”
A statement issued yesterday by the PM House contains details of the inquiry committee: “An inquiry committee including senior officers of ISI, MI and IB is being formed by the government to apportion the blame, identify interests and motives and expose all those responsible for this episode of stern action in the national interest.”
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said earlier this week that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Ch Nisar and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif called on the army chief to brief him on the progress of the investigation and recommendations related to the story.
The meeting was also attended by DG ISI General Rizwan Akhtar.
The Prime Minister’s Office had rejected the story, but the military maintained the story had been “leaked” and demanded a probe into the matter as it viewed the leak as a breach of national security.
Journalist Cyril Almeida’s name was also placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) after the publication of the story but his name was later removed by the Interior Ministry as a “goodwill gesture”.
In an Editor’s note, Dawn clarified its position and stated on the record that the story “was verified, cross-checked and fact-checked.”
Earlier this month, participants of a corps commander meeting expressed serious concern over what they said was “feeding of false and fabricated story of an important security meeting held at PM House and viewed it as breach of national security.
Media reports also stated yesterday that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has left for Dubai with his family.
However, Musadiq Malik said Asif’s departure was not connected to the probe into the story.
In a tweet, Asif said he is in Dubai to attend a wedding and will return today.
The prime minister’s Principal Information Officer Rao Tehseen has been suspended from his post and made an officer on special duty (OSD).
Earlier he had been barred from leaving the federal capital for the past eight days by the interior ministry.
Tehseen will remain suspended till the completion of inquiry into the matter.
PTI chief Imran Khan congratulated the nation for sacking of Information Minister for his alleged involvement in story leak and departure of Defence Minister from Pakistan.