National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has formed a 10-member committee — which will be led by Aslam Bhootani — to probe the audio of an alleged conversation featuring a PTI leader and the son of ex-chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar that surfaced on social media.

Last week, an audio clip purportedly featuring Nisar’s son had surfaced, wherein he was demanding a “reward” for getting a “job done for a PTI candidate”.

In the clip, which features pictures of Najam Saqib and PTI ticket hopeful Abuzar Chaddhar, a voice suggested to be that of Najam can be heard saying to the person on the other end that his father had worked very hard to get the job done and the caller on the other side, said to be of Chaddhar, can be heard saying he would come to meet Najam’s father after submitting the ticket.

The voice suggested to be Najam’s can also be heard asking Chaddhar to meet his father the same day and, in a conversation with another caller — identified as Mian Uzair — asking for “not only delivery of the goods, don’t take less than 120”.

The clip was first posted by journalist Asad Toor on Twitter.

Chaddhar was granted a PTI ticket in the second phase when party Chairman Imran Khan reviewed and changed his earlier decision for 22 seats.

In the audio, the voice purported to be Chaddhar’s can be heard as saying that “your efforts have paid off” and he would come straight to meet him [ex-CJP] after submitting the ticket [with the ECP] before 12 noon.

A day earlier, the lower house of Parliament had approved a motion authorising the speaker to constitute a committee to probe the audio clip.

The motion was moved by Shahida Akhtar Ali of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) after a number of lawmakers mentioned the latest audio leak in their speeches and called for action against those who had been “facilitating” PTI chief Imran Khan.

Subsequently, the NA Secretariat issued a circular, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.

According to the circular, which is dated May 2, a 10-member committee has been formed with Muhammad Aslam Bhootani as the chairman. Shahida Akhtar Ali, Muhammad Abu Bakr, Muhammad Barjees Tahir, Sheikh Rohale Asghar, Syed Hussain Tariq, Naz Baloch, Khalid Hussain Magsi, Wajiha Qamar and Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla are also part of the committee.

“The honourable speaker, NA, has been pleased to appoint a special committee to audit, inquire and investigate the audio leaks of Mr Najam Saqib s/o Mr Saqib Nisar, ex-chief justice of Pakistan, with PTI ticket holder,” the circular said.

“The committee shall conduct a thorough investigation and inquiry of the said audio leaks and present a comprehensive report in NA. The committee shall be assisted by any investigative agency,” it added.

It further said that the NA speaker had been authorised to include any other member or make changes to the composition of the committee from “time to time” as he deemed fit.

Ex-CJP says facts were ‘doctored’

After the first phase of interviews, Imran had granted the party ticket to Malik Iqbal for PP-137 (Sheikhup­ura-III). However, he had changed the decision allegedly after the former CJP’s intervention and recommendation.

According to Geo News, the former CJP had confirmed that the audio was of his son but that the facts had been “doctored”.

Admitting that he had recommended Chaddhar for the PTI ticket, the ex-CJP said he was now a private person and could recommend anyone and no one should have any issue with it.

He, however, denied taking any bribe for the recommendation and said, “A curse on those who take money”.

The former CJP also said that those who recorded his son’s conversation were “hypocrites”.