Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan Saturday hit back at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, minutes after the latter revealed ‘video evidence’ of former prrime minister Nawaz Sharif’s innocence in Al-Azizia corruption reference.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Dr Firdous said the forensic of controversial video tape will be conducted to check its authenticity. She said it is violation of law to record private conversation of any judge. The person which can be seen with Arshad Malik is Nasir Butt, who is a member of the PML-N and accused in a number of criminal cases, she added.
Dr Firdous said Maryam Nawaz is blaming the very courts that have given her relief. She has put the credibility of the court system at stake for her own sake, she said, and asked why the video wasn’t presented before the high court.
Dr Firdous said the niece after bulldozing his uncle has attempted to misguide the nation. “A baseless story was concocted to make the institutions controversial for vested interests. It’s not naivety but classic hatred in politics,” she said.
Dr Firdous said Maryam Nawaz has made an absurd attempt to gain public sympathy through the video tape. She said during the PML-N press conference, Shehbaz Sharif looked like a gambler who has lost everything. It seemed that a coup had occurred in PML-N and the niece cornered his uncle, she added.
Dr Firdous said the head of the gang, responsible for leaking, engineering and marketing of the tape, is in jail whereas his remnants are sitting in shape of Maryam Safdar with a tape. “If someone level allegation against others, then it is necessary that he should be honest and credible,” she said.
Dr Firdous said a failed attempt was made to bolster PML-N with the help of the tape provided by Nasir Butt, who is an infamous murderer and gang leader who fled to the United Kingdom after killing five people and remained an absconder for 20 years. She Nasir Butt’s credibility is also a question mark, adding that he worked as a security guard for Nawaz Sharif in the UK and his cases were closed when the PML-N came into power again.
Dr Firdous said credibility of the tape will be determined after forensic analysis. “We will not hide anything from the nation, but the whole nation also does know about Justice (r) Qayyum’s tape scandal,” she added. “Our government never forced judges to flee from their chambers whereas the PML-N has a history of always exercising undue influence over the courts,” she said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and the government strengthened the courts, she said, and added that the government does not have any influence over them.
Dr Firdous said a baseless story was concocted to make the institutions weaker for their vested interests. “It is a result of jealousy and hatred,” she added.
Dr Firdous said the members of Sharif family, including Salman Shehbaz, Ali Imran and Ishaq Dar, are involved in various corruption cases who have fled after sucking the blood of the nation. “Why do they not come back and face the cases,” she questioned.
On the other hand, she said, Prime Minister Imran Khan, who never enjoyed any public office, faced cases but he did not leave the country. Imran Khan gave money trail of 40 years and after getting a certificate of an honest and credible person, assumed the office of the prime minister, she added.
Commenting on Shehbaz Sharif’s recent appearance before the National Accountability Bureau team, she said 20 questions surfaced in the media wherein Shehbaz Sharif was asked about the sources of money and assets of his family. However, Shehbaz stated that he does not know about it and that the family should be asked in this regard. “It is amazing that the father is saying that his children should be asked about details of assets whereas the children are saying that father should be asked,” she added.
