PMLN Rejects Justice Azmat’s Appointment, Demands Impartial Chairman Of Broadsheet Inquiry Commission, Proceedings To Be Public
ISLAMABAD: PMLN while rejecting the appointment of Justice Azmat Saeed as the head of Broadsheet scandal inquiry commission, has demanded that an undisputed and non-controvercial person be appointed as the chairman of the commission and a it’s proceedings be made public as the law regarding inquiry commissions has that provision.
PMLN said that this issue has not only dented the country financial, but has also defiled the image and integrity of Pakistan, its institutions and its sensitive security agencies.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament Lodges Islamabad, Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Marriyum Aurangzeb, flanked by Khurram Dastgir Khan, Muhammad Zubair and Ahsan Iqbal laid out the details of the Broadsheet case and its impact on Pakistan and its people.
Shahid Khaqan said cases like Broadsheet were the reason why Pakistan had been in a state of crisis. He said when institutions are established for the sole reason of tarnishing the image of politicians and slinging mud at them by dubbing them corrupt, the country could never function. But today, he said, these institutions that are instruments of political victimisation had been exposed and those who created these and pulled their strings had also been exposed. Showing the 14-page contract signed with Broadsheet LLC Isle Of Man England, he said, signed by Lieutenant General Syed Muhammad Amjad as Chairman NAB, Dr Pepper, Prosecutor General NAB Farooq Azam Khan and Tariq Fawad Malik as witness. He said any lawyer would deen this as a completely one sided agreement done with a company that was created days before this agreement.
The former Prime Minister said to thia day Pakistan had paid $ 65 million, one-third of which was paid by this PTI government. He pointed out that by the decision of ECNEC and the cabinet this one-third was transformed into the Pakistani High Commission’s account and Broadsheet was permitted to take that money, yet no national institution has the guts to question this.
“Had any such agreement been done by any politician, it would have made headlines for days that a politician looted nation’s Rs 1000 crores. He would have been in NAB Custody for 90 days and then perpetually in jail. This matter isn’t just about corruption but about the organised effort to destroy Pakistan’s political system and taunt its politicians forever to discredit them”, he said.
Abbasi said this government went a step ahead and decided to make commission over the payment of this remaining one-third amount and now Kavi Mousavi repeatedly had been saying that the representative of this current administrations continuesly approached them for their cut for facilitating this payment. He said the names Mousavi took include sitting cabinet ministers of this government and officials of ISI. This he said was a source of extreme embarrassment for the country and an alarming revelation.
And as icing on the cake, this government had appointed Justice Azmat Saeed as the Chairman of the inquiry commission for this scandal. He revealed that Justice Azmat was the deputy Prosecutor General at the time and was serving the Prosecutor General who was the witness signatory of this agreement. This he said establishes a clear and undeniable conflict of interest as Justice Azmat was involved in this agreement as he served the Prosecutor General. Abbasi question how this inquiry could be impartial and transparent when its too authority had the most glaring conflict of interest. He urged Justice Azmat said to do the just thing and decline the position instead of tarnishing his legacy forever. This is a case where the institution created to stop corruption had been caught red handed committing corruption. How can those on board all this be the judge of this case, he asked. He said it is a test of Justice Azmat Saeed who once held the top post to give justice to the people. He said Justice Azmat Saeed was on Shaukat Khanum Hospital’s Board as well, but that’s another discussion for another day. He urged Justice Azmat to not become part of this corruption or his legacy would be the same as Justice Javed Iqbal.
Marriyum Aurangzeb revealed that the administration of the parliament lodges banned media from covering the press conference so that the nation wouldn’t know the truth about the massive scandal. She said when the administration was asked, they said tge Deputy Speaker National Assembly had ordered not to let media in. But when they were asked for the written order they said the instructions were passed only verbally. She said when they were confronted and pressed for the written order, they caved in and let the media in. Marriyum said this shows the level of desperation, fear and insecurity of this imposed regime that they want to absolutely gag media and all freedom of expression and press in Pakistan to hide their heinous crimes. This premises belongs to the parliamentarians and the parliament, and was not the government’s private property, which is why the opposition will hold as many press conferences at whatever time it deems fit, she lambasted. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also condemned the act and said such acts only depicted the cowardice of this incompetent and unqualified regime. He said after shutting down the parliament, the government now wants to shut down parliamentary lodges too. What would describe the state of this country If parliamentarians can’t exercise freedom of expression within the premises of tge parliament, he said.
Abbasi said the disasters and crisis faced by Pakistan at the moment were not just a product of incompetence and incapacity but were a result of methodical and ruthless corruption by the PTI government. He pointed out there is a method to this madness where PTI government fakes a crisis, lots hundreds of billions of public money, sets up an eyewash commission to smartly exonerate the really culprits and then buries that issue.
