Allegations against PM made by former DG of FIA: Maryam demands judicial inquiry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz, on Wednesday, demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegations levelled by former director general Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Memon, who has accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of pressuring him to book Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other opposition leaders in different cases.

Talking to journalists, she urged the judiciary to take notice of the allegations levelled by former DG FIA against the prime minister to have pressured him for framing “fake” cases against the sitting judge of the apex court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other opposition leaders.

She said that the PML-N was also making consultations to explore the possibility of filing a petition in the apex court with regard to the “revelations” by the former DG FIA.

“Never before in the country’s history has a sitting prime minister, regardless of whether he is ‘fake’ or an ‘imposed’ one, been involved in such ‘heinous and atrocious’ crimes by misusing the PM Office…I’m sure now people would get to know what Sicilian Mafia is,” she said, while commenting on Memon’s allegation against Prime Minister Khan in a private TV programme.

Memon had alleged that when he was the DG FIA he was pressured by the premier to file cases against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, former premier Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Khawaja Asif, PPP’s Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, and others.

The PML-N leader accused the prime minister of being involved in “political engineering”, adding that the premier was using the PM Office to threaten and pressurise heads of institutions for filing fabricated cases against the opposition leaders.

“What’s the result of all these political engineering? The only outcome is that Pakistan’s name has been defamed in the entire world…You have turned into an epic failure on every front and the situation has reached to the level countries are imposing ban on flights to and from Pakistan,” she said, while questioning the performance of PM Khan and his government.

She maintained that the country was suffering to the extent that most of its cities had turned into garbage dumps but the prime minister was least concerned and “his only priority is to frame fake cases against opposition leaders”.

Maryam praised Justice Qazi Faez Isa, saying that he was a man who upheld the principles of truth and justice.

She also forecasted Justice Isa to be the future Chief Justice of Pakistan, adding that it was disgraceful that the government wanted to file “fake” cases against a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

She urged the judiciary to look into the case itself to take notice of the “conspiracy” against the sitting judges, Justice Isa and Justice Shaukat Siddiqui, adding that they should be given the justice.

“The PML-N will not let it go…we are keeping our option open with regard to filing a petition…This is a huge and very serious case. A conspiracy of over the past five years is hidden behind this case,” she maintained, adding that a conspiracy is also being hatched against PML-N, which began from the PTI’s 2014 sit-in and has been continuing since then.

Maryam said that she would continue to fight Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Shaukat Siddiqui’s “battle”.

“I’ve been doing so from the time when the media was not even allowed to air content over the matter,” she said, adding that Justice Isa and his wife are being punished for the verdict he gave in the Faizabad dharna case.

“I wonder as to why the government is afraid of judges that were willing to uphold the truth…If these judges [Isa and Siddiqui] hadn’t stood up, if they hadn’t fought and showed courage, then no one would have remembered them today,” she added.

“I feel proud of them [judges] who stood against the “state terrorism” and against a “terrorist” sitting in the Prime Minister House who is “imposed” upon us, and confronted him and exposed the conspiracy,” she maintained.

She also warned the prime minister to think about what will happen to him when his government comes to an end.

To a question, she said that the government would have been sent home had the PPP supported the idea of resignations.

She further said that the PML-N would not compromise on it principles as well as the anti-government movement.

To another question, she said that the narrative of fair accountability would remain incomplete unless the matter of Lt Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa who is facing the corruption cases are tried in court.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021