Pakistan: How the 'audio leaks' scandal has discredited politicians

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sahrif has ordered an investigation into several leaked audio conversations purportedly between former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his aides, dubbing them a risk to national security.

In the recordings, Khan appears to be telling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) officials to handle the alleged "US regime change" diplomatic cypher tactfully.

In April, amid a no-confidence motion against his government by the opposition parties, Khan claimed that he possessed a "letter" that proved Washington's involvement in an attempt to oust him from power.

Kha, who was subsequently voted out by parliament, accused the US of punishing him for pursing "an independent foreign policy."

In the first audio leak, which surfaced on Wednesday, a voice, believed to be that of Khan's, is heard saying, "We only have to 'play' with this [the cypher]. We don't have to name [any country]."

PM Sharif's government maintains the "foreign conspiracy" claim by Khan is merely an attempt to whip up the anti-US sentiment in Pakistan and to divert people's attention from his severe "incompetence" during his three-and-a-half-year at the helm.

But Khan is not the only big Pakistani politician whose alleged audio has been leaked to public. Purported recordings of Prime Minister Sharif also came to the fore last week.

In one clip, Sharif, apparently, could be heard talking about a power project allotment to his relative, and in another, his niece Maryam Nawaz is purportedly requesting him to scrap a public health project launched by the previous government.

A campaign to malign politicians?

Although Khan and Sharif have been trading blame for the audio leaks, analysts say they have equally discredited both the opposition and the government.

There is a perception among the Pakistani public that politicians are only interested in gaining power by hook or crook, and to achieve that they can go to any length. The "audio leak" scandal has somewhat reinforced this idea.

Tauseef Ahmed Khan, a Karachi-based political analyst, believes the leaks are an attempt to show politicians in a bad light. "They reinforce the perception that all politicians are corrupt, selfish and incompetent," he told DW.

But some analysts are of the view that the audio leaks appear to be a scheme to tarnish the politicians' image.

Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, a PTI official, believes the leaks are the work of those who are "afraid of the popularity of elected leaders."

"They don't want a popular politician [in Pakistan,]" he told DW.

But who are the "they" that Cheema is referring to?

Non-democratic forces to benefit from leaks

Some people allege that the country's powerful military is behind the "audio leaks" campaign.

Bushra Gohar, a former lawmaker and critic of the Pakistani military, says it is not the first time politicians' phones have been bugged.

"I raised the issue of illegal phone tapping of politicians in parliament," she told DW, alleging that secret recordings are used by intelligence agencies to blackmail politicians and weaken civilian governments.

"It is a serious matter that even the PM's office isn't safe for any kind of security meeting. The audio contents are being discussed in public but no one is questioning the illegality of these recordings," she said.

Analyst Khan believes the audio leaks trend could be dangerous for Pakistani democracy as it would "create more space for Islamist parties."

"This won't stop until all politicians unite against non-democratic forces. Politicians should put their differences aside. Whether it is Khan or Sharif, the image of politicians is at stake," he added.

Is criticism of the army justified?

But the tug-of-war between Khan and the incumbent government is currently so intense that it is unlikely they would join hands to tackle the audio leaks scandal.

According to some analysts, the politicians need to clean up their act first instead of pointing fingers at the military all the time.

Ijaz Awan, a retired general and defense analyst, denies the military's involvement in the audio leaks, saying some elements are using it to settle scores with the army.

"It is the government's incompetence that resulted in these leaks. It also happened when Nawaz Sharif was prime minister [2013-2017]. Had his government taken an action back then, this would not have happened again," he told DW, adding that it has become a norm in Pakistan to malign the army.