What did Ishaq Dar say about Army Chief in alleged leaked audio?

After Prime Minister-elect Shehbaz Sharif assumed office as the country’s premier, speculation arose regarding the composition of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) cabinet. Amidst this anticipation, Ishaq Dar, a four-time former finance minister and current senator, is once again being considered for the role of finance minister.

According to reports from various media outlets, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has reportedly consented to Senator Ishaq Dar’s appointment as the finance minister of the country. This development follows PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s criticism of Dar during the party’s election campaign leading up to the February 8 polls, where he repeatedly blamed Dar for economic mismanagement during the PML-N-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government.

In January, during an appearance on Geo News’ program “Naya Pakistan,” Bilawal asserted that his party would prefer anyone other than Dar to assume the position of the country’s finance minister amidst the ongoing economic crises.

Last night, a purported leaked audio recording featuring Ishaq Dar discussing the Chief of the Army Staff has surfaced on social media. In the audio posted by former Pakistan army major Adil Raja, who is currently in exile in London, Dar, a close aide and relative of three-time PM Nawaz Sharif, is heard criticizing the army chief.

Raja claimed that according to the alleged London plan, the current army chief Asim Munir had initially assured Dar of becoming the next finance minister. However, he later reneged on his promise, prompting Dar to speak critically of the army chief.

In the leaked 50-second audio clip, Dar expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment received by the army chief from the public, remarking that no previous army chief had faced such humiliation. He emphasized the importance of the position and suggested that the current chief was unaware of the reasons behind his diminishing reputation.

It’s worth noting that in the recording, Dar did not specify whether he was referring to General retired Bajwa or the incumbent COAS.

Here is how the netizens reacted;