Leaks are neither new nor surprising: UN on leaking of confidential report

New York [US] Mar 7 (ANI): Underlining that the leaks of a confidential UN Ombudsperson reports are "neither new nor surprising", the United Nations on Thursday expressed hope for the relevant UN Sanctions Committee to investigate leaks and hold those responsible to account.
This comes in the wake of reports in Indian media claiming that visa requests of a United Nations team to interview 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed residing in Pakistan were rejected by the country's consulate in New York.
"The UN spokesperson said that we have neither seen the report of the Ombudsperson nor its findings since it is a confidential document. We will respond to the report as and when it is made available to us," read a UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric statement.
"The leaks are neither new nor surprising. The Spokesperson expressed the hope that the relevant UN Sanctions Committee will investigate such leaks and hold those responsible to account," the statement further read.
The spokesperson further drew attention to the prescribed UN procedure for filing listing and de-listing requests by individuals and entities. Every listed individual or entity is legally entitled to submit de-listing requests directly with the UN Ombudsperson.  
According to the media reports, subsequent to their visa requests getting rejected the UN ombudsman Daniel Kipfer Fasciati had to settle for a video interview of Saeed after which a report critical of Pakistan's behaviour was generated in which the UN officially recommended against the de-listing of Hafiz Saeed in the UNSC 1267 sanctions list, thereby dealing a blow to diplomatic efforts waged by Pakistan to protect the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
According to sources that confirmed Pakistan's latest duplicity in the Hafiz Saeed case, Pakistan was fearful that Saeed would voluntarily reveal more incriminating evidence against it and their support to various terror organisations operating from its soil, therefore, Pakistan blocked a face-to-face interview of Hafiz Saeed by the UN officials. 
Subsequent to their visa requests getting rejected the UN ombudsman Daniel Kipfer Fasciati had to settle for a video interview of Saeed after which a report critical of Pakistan's behaviour was generated in which the UN officially recommended against the de-listing of Hafiz Saeed in the UNSC 1267 sanctions list, thereby dealing a blow to diplomatic efforts waged by Pakistan to protect the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba. (ANI)