After the workers of India National Congress went shirtless to protest the alleged snooping by the Indian government, Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has now claimed that their Prime Minister Imran Khan was also on the list of people who are allegedly being snooped on by the Indian government.
Pakistan on Monday claimed that at least one number once used by their Prime Minister Imran Khan was on India’s list as per the report released. As per a news report, Chaudhary informed that Pakistan will raise the issue of hacking by India with relevant forums.
It is imperative to note that just like the publications that published the alleged phone tapping by the BJP provided no proof, no basis, no factual evidence, Pakistan too has no evidence to prove the same.
“We are waiting for details of the hacking,” said Chaudhary in an interview.
Chaudhary took to Twitter to raise his concerns over the alleged controversy. “Extremely concerned on news reports emerging from @guardiannews that Indian government used Israeli software to spy on journalists, political opponents and politicians. Unethical policies of #ModiGovt have dangerously polarised India and the region… More details are emerging,” he said in a Tweet on Monday.
Extremely concerned on news reports emerging from @guardiannews that Indian Govt used Israeli software to spy on Journalists,political opponents and politicians,unethical policies of #ModiGovt have dangerously polarised India and the region… more details are emerging
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 19, 2021
The minister also retweeted a Tweet made by former Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha on the Pegasus controversy.
The Post in its report had mentioned that hundreds of numbers from Pakistan were being snooped on and one of the numbers happens to be of Imran Khan. However, the number is no longer in use by Khan and nor did The Post specify whether the surveillance attempt on Khan’s number was successful.
Fawad Choudhary, however, perhaps failed to realise that the allegation that their PM’s phone is being snooped on by a foreign country using a third party software is rather a matter of shame for Pakistan and its intelligence agencies.
Like Pakistan, Congress alleges snoopgate by Modi government
On Sunday evening, left-wing portal The Wire reported that the names of 40 Indian journalists are there in an alleged leaked list containing people who were under surveillance using Israeli spyware Pegasus.
A day after the report was out, hundreds of Congress workers led by ‘youth leader’ Srinivas B V staged a protest on Monday over the alleged phone tapping issue. Flouting the Covid-19 norms the male workers went shirtless for reasons best known to them.
Like Chaudhary, Congress worker Srinivas BV alleged that Rahul Gandhi also was a ‘potential target’ to snooping in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Not just him, Rahul Gandhi’s aides were also in the list alleged Srinivas.
Government denies claims
The Indian government issued a statement responding to a questionnaire about the alleged leak. The statement says that “the story being crafted is one that is not only bereft of facts but also founded in pre-conceived conclusions. It seems you are trying to play the role of an investigator, prosecutor as well as jury.”
The statement said that both in RTI replies and in the Parliament, the govt has clarified that there has been no unauthorised interception by Government agencies. “The allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people has no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever,” the statement said.
It is notable here that India’s Congress and Pakistan’s government parroting each other’s complaints and allegations against the Modi government is nothing new. Imran Khan’s party, ministers, and sometimes even Khan himself repeat the exact lines and statements made by Congress. And sometimes Congress does the same.
