The Pak. 'Tehelka' tapes

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 6. If it is the Tehelka videotapes that have created a political storm India, it is a set of audiotapes which has been the focus of attention of the political class in Pakistan in the last few weeks. The audiotapes in question are the alleged conversations between senior functionaries of the Nawaz Sharif Government and the judges of an Accountability Court weeks before they pronounced Ms. Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister, guilty in a corruption case in 1999.

The audiotapes first came to light on February 5 when the London- based Sunday Times published extracts of the reported conversation between senior functionaries of the Sharif Government and the judges concerned along with a letter by the intelligence officer in charge of the sleuth operation to prove the point that the case was ``fixed''.

The letter was purportedly written by the intelligence officer to the Pakistan President, Mr. Rafiq Tarar, as he suffered pangs of ``conscience''. A Pakistani English monthly, Newsline, in fact, published extracts of what it claimed as 40-odd audiotapes in its March cover story.

The Pakistan People's Party immediately moved the Supreme Court asking it to take note of the tapes. On direction of the apex court the Musharraf Government responded that the tapes never existed.

It is not known if the Supreme Court has accepted the explanation given by the Government on the ``non-existence'' of tapes as the details of the order, setting aside the conviction of Ms. Bhutto, has not yet been spelt out.

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Section  : International
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