Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah stated on Wednesday that a video or audio recording made to expose a criminal offence is not illegal, unless it was being done to blackmail a person.
Addressing a press conference, he said making public a recording or video that reveals a crime is not an illegal move.
“However, if a video or conversation is leaked to intentionally blackmail someone, then it is a crime,” he said. “Making videos of private legal matters public is also a crime.”
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His comments come after a purported audio clip of Bushra Bibi, former prime minister Imran Khan's wife, and PTI social media head Dr Arslan Khalid started making the rounds on social media.
In the alleged clip, Bushra Bibi could be heard telling Dr Khalid that Imran had asked him to run trends on social media declaring political opponents as "traitors".
In the purported clip, Bushra Bibi also allegedly told Arslan Khalid to link criticism against her and Farah Khan, a friend of the former first lady who flew out of Pakistan in April, with treason. As per the clip, Dr Khalid assured the ex-first lady that the social media team would follow the instructions and label the PTI critics “traitors”.
“This was a clear planning for a crime,” he said. “If she terms the leaked conversation fake and states that the words are not hers, then we will perform its verification. However, no such claim has been made by her or any Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker.”
Earlier, Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the provincial government would issue a red notice to bring back Farah Khan and her husband Jameel Gujjar, both of whom have left the country.
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“The couple is involved in corruption, land fraud, and running a racket of diamond smuggling,” Punjab Home Minister said, and vowed to bring them back via Interpol.
Tarar claimed that Farah was the front person of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra. He accused Imran, Bushra, and Farah of looting national wealth.
Meanwhile, during the press conference, Sanaullah also said that the government’s refusal to let PTI hold another Azadi march in Islamabad was not harassment.
PTI threatened to block the country which is a non-democratic move, he said.
“Any question raised by the current government related to misappropriation of funds by PTI is termed treason,” he pointed out. “We are just questioning them and not cornering them therefore, this is not harassment.”