A day after the Balochistan government requested the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to postpone its rally in Quetta due to terror threats, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N)’s former member of the Punjab provincial assembly (MPA), Azma Bokhari posted a video on social media revealing Maryam Nawaz’s room number and suite name. While shaking the door handle of the room, next a sign which clearly states the name of the suite and the number, Azma says, “…yeh lock aur darwaza InshaAllah salamat rahe ga, agar kisi ko adventure karne ka shauq hai tou hum yahan hi hain” (this room is locked, and if anyone wants to have an adventure, we will be waiting right here).
The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has issued a terror threat for Peshawar and Quetta, saying that banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is planning terrorist activities in the two cities. The statement reads that the TTP is aiming to target religious and political parties in possibly bomb attacks or suicide bombings.
Azma Bokhari seems to be alluding to the recent arrest of Captain Safdar from his hotel room in Karachi, suggesting that the workers of the party are on high alert and will be there to counter any potential ‘middle of the night’ arrest in Quetta.
The PML-N former MPA was previously involved in another ‘video war’ with members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, over the price of aata in her area.
PDM lead by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Maulana Fazalur Rehman, PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has done two successful jalsas, one in Gujranwala and another in Karachibut there is some speculation about cracks within the opposition.
A video footage of the arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar has surfaced, which shows two Sindh police officials breaking into the lawmaker’s room.
The footage acquired by Geo News showed that Safdar was detained by the officials of the Sindh police from his hotel room at 6:45am.
As per the video, two police vans entered the hotel premises at 6:08am and it took the cops approximately 35 minutes to detain the lawmaker from his room on the 15th floor. In the video, a plainclothed man can be seen taking instruction on phone, while another is busy in making a video of the arrested MNA.
The video was also tweeted by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who is the spouse of Safdar. She wrote that the video reflected that a ‘state above state’ existed in Pakistan.
ایک خاتون کے کمرے میں دروازہ توڑ کر زبردستی گھس آنا جب وہ سو رہی ہو،کیا انتقام کی آگ واقعی اتنا اندھا کردیتی ہے کہ انسان اپنے ہوش و حواس کھو بییٹھے؟ کونسی ریاست اپنی ہی بیٹیوں کے ساتھ ایسا سلوک کرتی ہے؟ مافیا کون ہے، ریاست کے اوپر ریاست کیا ہوتا ہے، آج سب کے سامنے ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/5oIr4cEEwD
Safdar was arrested from his hotel room in the early hours of Monday from his hotel room for raising slogans at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and jumping over the grill surrounding the grave. The Sindh government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had distanced itself from the matter soon after the arrest.
Afterwards, the Sindh police tweeted that the arrest was lawful, but the tweet was deleted soon after it was put up. But after a few hours, the tweet was updated again, wherein the police said that Safdar was arrested as per law.
Amid reports that the Sindh Rangers took IGP Mushtaq Mahar hostage to get Safdar arrested, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) asked army general Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to launch a institutional probe into the incident. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that every police officer in Sindh, from a station house officer to senior police officers, were wondering who had “surrounded IG Sindh Mushtaq Mahar’s office at 2am on Sunday night”, asking Gen Bajwa to take notice.
Subsequently, the military’s media wing tweeted that Gen Bajwa has ordered a probe into the episode. According to a statement shared by the ISPR, Gen Bajwa directed the Karachi Corps commander to “immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible”
Going full sexist in his tirade against the opposition, Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz has trained guns at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz and said that “shoes, dresses and makeup do not make one a leader”.
Addressing a press conference, Faraz, who is the top mouthpiece of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, said that Maryam owed her career to dynastic politics and thought of herself as the late prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto.
“Benazir was a well-educated lady […] shoes, dresses and makeup do not make you a leader. To be one, you need to live like a common person,” he said while launching a verbal attack against thrice former PM Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, who has time and again been criticised for her luxurious lifestyle and rather expensive dresses, footwear as well as accessories.
WATCH VIDEO:
The minister also spoke at length against opposition parties’ alleged corruption and misuse of authority during their respective tenures in the past.
The statement updated on Twitter read: “The arrest of Capt (r) Safdar was done according to the law and the investigation will be impartial and on merit.” However, the tweet was hastily removed for unknown reasons, but it had generated over 450 retweets before being taken down.
Safdar was arrested from his hotel room in the early hours of Monday for raising slogans at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and jumping over the grill surrounding the grave. This had resulted in a backlash on social media and the government quarters who demanded his arrest for violating the sanctity of the place. However, the way he was arrested by police gave rise to speculations.
Senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir has claimed the Sindh government informed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair that the provincial police chief had been “kidnapped by rangers at 4 am and forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Maryam Nawaz’s husband, Captain (r) Safdar”.
“Unfortunate incident. Sindh Govt informed PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair that IG [insector general] Sindh was kidnapped by Rangers at 4 in the morning he was brought in sector commander’s office where addnl IG was already present and were forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Cpt Rtd Safdar [sic],” Mir claimed in a tweet.
It was, however, rejected by another senior journalist, who said the IG was “fully onboard with the arrest”. Maintaining that internal rifts were marring the affairs of the joint opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Kamran Khan quoted sources as saying that all claims regarding the IG’s arrest were not true.
CASE AGAINST SAFDAR, MARYAM:
The FIR registered against the PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar and about 200 other people said the PML-N leaders, along with 200 of their followers, reached the Quaid’s grave where Safdar jumped over the grill surrounding it and resorted to sloganeering.
A case has been registered under Section 6 (convening of meetings or processions in the mausoleum), Section 8 (entry into mausoleum with weapon) and Section 10 (penalty for contravention of provisions) of The Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971.
It said the PML-N leader and his followers damaged the state property at the shrine besides threatening to kill the complainant upon intervention. “My complaint is that Safdar and his cohort violated the sanctity of the Quaid’s mausoleum and his grave. A case [should be] registered against him for raising political slogans inside the mausoleum complex, death threats against me and for damaging government property.”
Senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir has claimed the Sindh government informed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair that the provincial police chief had been “kidnapped by rangers at 4 am and forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Maryam Nawaz’s husband, Captain (r) Safdar”.
Earlier in the day, Karachi police arrested Capt (r) Safdar for violating the sanctity of Jinnah Mausoleum by raising slogans at the grave of the founder of Pakistan. The development was shared by his wife and PML-N vice president, Maryam, who tweeted that police broke into her room to arrest Capt (r) Safdar.
“Unfortunate incident. Sindh Govt informed PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair that IG [insector general] Sindh was kidnapped by Rangers at 4 in the morning he was brought in sector commander’s office where addnl IG was already present and were forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Cpt Rtd Safdar [sic],” Mir claimed in a tweet.
Unfortunate incident.Sindh Govt informed PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair that IG Sindh was kidnapped by Rangers at 4 in the morning he was brought in sector commander’s office where addnl IG was already present and were forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Cpt Rtd Safdar
It was, however, rejected by another senior journalist, who said the IG was “fully onboard with the arrest”.
پی ڈی ایم اندرونی کھیل شروع مریم بی بی آئندہ سندھ آنے کی دعوت سوچ کر قبول فرمائیں ناقابل تردید زرائع بتاتے ہیں کہ آئی جی سندھ مشتاق مہر ہنستے کھیلتے کیپٹن صفدر کی گرفتاری کے تمام مراحل میں اپنے سینئر اہلکاروں کے ساتھ شریک رہے اغوا وغیرہ کی کہانی مریم بی بی کی تسلی کے لئے ہے
Maintaining that internal rifts were marring the affairs of the joint opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Kamran Khan quoted sources as saying that all claims regarding the IG’s arrest were not true.
The tweets come as condemnations pour in against Safdar’s arrest that is being termed “inappropriate” while some, on the other hand, laud the authorities for the same.
People had earlier also been criticising the Sindh government of joint opposition’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for backstabbing the PML-N a day after the mammoth anti-government rally of the PDM in Karachi.
Karachi police have arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar for violating the sanctity of Jinnah Mausoleum by raising slogans at the grave of the founder of Pakistan.
The development was shared by his wife PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who wrote that police broke into her room to arrest Safdar while she was sleeping.
Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar.
The PML-N leadership, including vice president Maryam Nawaz, had visited the mausoleum to offer fatiha on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s grave ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) power show in Karachi. However, the fatiha was followed by slogans by the PML-N supporters and Safdar jumping over the grill surrounding the grave.
The sloganeering at the mausoleum attracted flak, especially by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, who sought action against the PML-N leaders for the ‘hooliganism’.
Similarly, Maritimes Minister Ali Haider Zaidi pushed police to register a case against the PML-N leaders over the incident. “Once again clearly warning CS & IG of Sindh. Action must be taken against the hooligans who created ruckus at Mazar-e-Quaid. If they are allowed to leave KHI, you will be directly held responsible for letting them escape. U will be considered as aiders & abettors in the crime,” he tweeted ahead of the arrest.
Once again clearly warning CS & IG of Sindh. Action must be taken against the hooligans who created ruckus at Mazar-e-Quaid. If they are allowed to leave KHI, you will be directly held responsible for letting them escape. U will be considered as aiders & abettors in the crime.
Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar and about 200 other people. According to the complainant, the PML-N leaders, along with 200 of their followers, reached the Quaid’s grave where Safdar jumped over the grill surrounding it.
A case has been registered under Section 6 (convening of meetings or processions in the mausoleum), Section 8 (entry into mausoleum with weapon) and Section 10 (penalty for contravention of provisions) of The Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971.
It said the PML-N leader and his followers damaged the state property at the shrine besides threatening to kill the complainant upon intervention. “My complaint is that Safdar and his cohort violated the sanctity of the Quaid’s mausoleum and his grave. A case [should be] registered against him for raising political slogans inside the mausoleum complex, death threats against me and for damaging government property.”
WAS SAFDAR ARRESTED FROM HOTEL’S ROOM?:
Though the PML-N claims that Safdar was arrested from the hotel room by the Karachi police, the claim was contested by the federal minister, Ali Zaidi, who shared a video of Safdar being taken in a police mobile. “Maryam once again lying that the hotel door was broken. Video shows otherwise. Do u see any handcuffs? Does it look like he was arrested by force?” he took a jibe at Maryam.
Appreciate the quick action taken by IG Sindh against the the hooligans who disrespected Mazar-e-Quaid. Law must take its course. Maryum once again lying that the hotel door was broken. Video shows otherwise. Do u see any handcuffs? Does it look like he was arrested by force? pic.twitter.com/7DLHTiw2kA
However, to corroborate the claim, PML-N social media cell shared a video of the hotel room, showing the broken door of the hotel room. The statement issued by the provincial minister also strengthened the claim that the police barged into the hotel room of the PML-N leaders.
Surprisingly, the Sindh government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has distanced itself from the matter, even though the police chief is answerable to the chief minister. PPP minister Saeed Ghani said that while Captain Safdar’s behaviour was inappropriate, the way his arrest was carried out was condemnable.
PPP MPA Sharmila Farooqi said “sloganeering inside Mazar-e-Quaid is inappropriate, but breaking doors & arresting Captain Safdar in this manner is also unacceptable”. “Sindh government is not a party to this. Clearly a blatant attempt to sabotage the solidarity of PDM and defame Sindh government,” she added.
Over 100 people, including internet service providers, sound system organisers and residents holding corner meetings, have been named in at least seven FIRs [First Information Reports] at different police stations across Gujranwala for violating coronavirus guidelines ahead of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s jalsa.
The daughter of former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif is due to hold a public gathering in the city on October 16 as part of the joint opposition’s anti-government campaign. She is expected to be joined by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as well in what is expected to be a mammoth power show by opposition parties.
While PM Imran Khan has reportedly given permission to the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for holding its protest rallies that are expected to feature fiery speeches against the government and security establishment as it puts forward 26 demands, including the resignation of the premier, sources claim that authorities concerned are springing into action in this regard.
“After Federal Minister Sheikh Rasheed’s warning that the next few months could be critical in terms of internal security and any prominent personal could suffer an attempt on his or her life, coronavirus is being used as a reason to bar the opposition from protesting against the government,” they alleged.
However, according to the police, the people named in the aforementioned FIRs had not been following coronavirus SOPs, especially social distancing rules.
“Residents have to submit a request for an NOC [no-objection certificate] before holding gatherings,” a police officer said, adding that Gujranwala’s chief police officer had instructed the police to ensure strict implementation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the city.
“The government has been cracking down on restaurants and other public spaces across the country for violation of SOPs since the number of cases in Pakistan spiked again in September,” he said.
NEW COVID-19 RULES:
Earlier in the day, it was also reported that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has said public gatherings should preferably be avoided and those that are held, their duration should not exceed for more than three hours.
Interestingly, the NCOC made it clear that the guidelines were not for wedding events or sports ones as separate SOPs had been issued for the former and for the latter, will be released soon.
The NCOC defined a public gathering as an event “where people are assembled on any given space; indoor or outdoor, for some purpose such as cultural events, religious gatherings, sports events, entertainment/cultural events, parties, political gatherings or other similar events”.
The following public gatherings will have to follow the newly issued guidelines:
• Entertainment/Cultural Gatherings
• Public gatherings of Unions/Associations or any such group
• Religious gatherings
• Political gatherings
• Family gatherings
• Civil society group gatherings
• Sports related gatherings (SOPs to be issued separately)
• Marriage (being a frequent & obligatory activity) has been excluded from the list and a separate list of SOPs comprising strict restrictions has already been issued for it
A day earlier, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) had warned that a second coronavirus wave could hit the country this winter.
The PMC warned authorities and the general public about the foreseeable second spike of coronavirus, saying that it is likely to start from educational institutions as it happened in the United States (US), India and Iran.
Former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief Bashir Memon has claimed during his tenure, the “highest office” had ordered him to file a terrorism case against members of the social media cell of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz, after a picture of First Lady Bushra Bibi was found circulating on social media.
Memon, a career civil servant of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) cadre, resigned from service in November last year, days before he was supposed to retire, in protest against being posted out close to retirement.
Memon had resigned the same day the government, while booting him out of office, appointed incumbent FIA director general Wajid Zia, also a PSP, in his pace.
In an interview with journalist Matiullah Jan, the first part of which was uploaded on the latter’s YouTube channel on Monday, Memon said: “There was a picture on social media, regarding which they [said] that a terrorism case should be filed.”
“It was a picture of the first lady [uploaded] on social media. How is this terrorism? There is a definition of terrorism in law. It was a normal picture, how was that terrorism,” he questioned.
It merits a mention here that the first lady clads a burqa and strictly adheres to face veiling. She also keeps out of the public eye and has rarely accompanied the prime minister on his domestic and international visits.
During the interview, then Jan asked Memon to name the authority who gave him the order, he said that he was summoned by the “highest office in Pakistan”.
When the host wondered if Prime Minister Imran Khan had attended the meeting Memon was summoned for, Memon refused to take names. “I said the highest office,” he reiterated.
“[They told me] to take action on this against [Maryam Nawaz’s] social media cell. I didn’t say that this couldn’t be done. I said, under which law? Because we have to work according to the law.”
He claimed that the government’s “expectations” which it had from the FIA “are [now] being fulfilled”.
In response to another question, Memon declared that the government expected the FIA to “do exactly what NAB [National Accountability Bureau] has done [with the opposition leaders]”.
“Especially regarding his [Nawaz Sharif’s] son-in-law captain Safdar […] just what NAB is doing with him,” he said.
Memon also said that the authorities wanted FIA to pursue corruption cases against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, his sons and his entire family including his relatives. The members of the Sharif family are being investigated in several cases of graft and abuse of authority.
The anti-graft agency arrested Shahbaz last week after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail petition in a money laundering case which also involves his family members. The agency accuses him of having laundered billions of rupees of black money during his tenure as the chief executive of Punjab.
When asked why he refused to pursue those cases, Memon said: “There were two reasons. One, I didn’t have the inquiries. Second, this was the mandate of the provincial anti-corruption [unit].”
The former FIA chief recalled that he was sent to Lahore where a meeting was convened by Punjab chief secretary Akbar Durrani and attended by all secretaries as well. Memon added that he was provided with the record of the case he had been asked to take up.
“End of the day, I told them that all of this is the mandate of provincial anti-corruption [unit]. They can do this, we cannot. Because FIA is a law enforcement agency. A law enforcement agency will [handle issues related to] law. We will remain within our mandate. We can’t go and jump around, in my opinion,” Memon said.
Memon said that the cases that were first referred to FIA were later transferred to the NAB. He said that the reason behind referring the cases to FIA first may have been that “they (authorities) feel that we are more competent”.
“However, I always said that this is what the law says and this is what it doesn’t. We have to work according to the law,” he told Jan. He further said that after NAB picked up the cases which were initially being probed by FIA, he was “relieved of that pressure”.
“Regarding NAB cases, whenever I hear the remarks and the verdicts that are given […] I say that God wanted to protect my dignity. In this age, all you care about is your respect,” he said.
He also talked about a “peculiar case” against PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, in which it was alleged that the latter was working for a company in Dubai while he was defence and foreign minister. The former FIA official said that it was suggested that a treason case against Asif should be lodged over the allegation.
“I’m not saying that [this is not possible]. But we need evidence for that,” he said and added that there was no available evidence when he was told to file the case. When asked who told him that such a case should be filed, he said it was said during a cabinet meeting and was included in the minutes.
“Cabinet had asked to carry out an inquiry. We did that but could not find evidence,” he explained.
He also mentioned a meeting, which was also attended by the prime minister, in which officials of government regretted that Karachi Electric was “ruined”. Memon said that FIA had proven that K-Electric had to return Rs87 billion to Sui Southern Gas Limited and that the money should be recovered.
“In his (prime minister’s) opinion, FIA did wrong by conducting this investigation [against KE]. That this investigation should not have been conducted,” Memon claimed.
No official from the government has so far commented on Memon’s claims.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said the nation was expecting the arrest of PM’s aide Asim Saleem Bajwa but the authorities instead apprehended his brother Shehbaz Sharif.
“This is oppression and this is injustice,” Nawaz said, referring to Shehbaz’s arrest in a money laundering case. “This is not acceptable and we will not accept it.”
The National Assembly opposition leader was arrested Monday morning after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail plea.
Referring to Bajwa, the former premier told reporters in London that the nation wanted to know how a person made such big properties and assets in just 15 or 20 years.
Opposition parties have been demanding an investigation against Bajwa after the publishing of a story that claimed that Bajwa’s family had set up 99 companies in four countries, including a pizza franchise with 133 restaurants.
The website, FactFocus, claimed that his wife is a “shareholder” in at least 86 companies. Of them, 71 were set up in the US, seven in the UAE and four in Canada.
Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz, who was addressing a press conference in Lahore, said that if there was accountability and justice in country, Bajwa would have been arrested.
Maryam said the anti-government movement would not stop with the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif, rather the unjust act would add fuel to fire. “This movement will not suffer a setback due to Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest,” she insisted.
She said even if the entire PML-N leadership, including her, was arrested, the movement would not stop. Terming the arrest extremely unfortunate, Maryam said she had no doubts that the PML-N president had been picked up because he chose not to betray his brother, Nawaz Sharif.
“He [Shehbaz Sharif] not only stood with his brother but his loyalty to his brother’s cause and the party remained unwavering. “His wife has been declared an absconder; his son, my brother Hamza, has been sent to jail, though no case has been proven against him.
“During the last week, Shehbaz gave two to three statements, saying that if they want to arrest him, they can , but the party will implement 100% of the directions given in Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the APC,” she said, referring to a statement made by the PML-N supremo at the opposition’s multiparty conference last week.
The PML-N leader said the party had all its options open including resignations from all assemblies as well as launching a long march, and the party was deliberating on all options. “Those who are talking about birth of ‘Sheen’ from ‘Noon’ are now screaming because Sheen and Noon are completely united and can’t be separated,” she said, adding that Shehbaz was arrested though nothing was proved against him.
Questioning the accountability and justice system, she said those who stood for justice were behind the bars or were submitting their financial details.
Statements by Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Wednesday, who claimed Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif and Shahbaz Sharif had held meetings with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa and head of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, upset many opposition leaders and prompted the military high-ups to step forward to counter his claims.
Shortly after the All Party Conference (APC) and the directions by Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the government to produce Nawaz Sharif, the railways minister predicted an implosion of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), claiming that the process has already started.
He disclosed that some senior politicians of the party had held two meetings with the military leadership. Speaking indirectly, Rasheed seemed to predict a coup or a split. wherein PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif would take over the party.
Rasheed alleged that the arrest warrants and Nawaz Sharif’s anti-establishment statements have caused troubles for the party, a sentiment supposedly held by many members of the PML-N. He predicted that a Shehbaz-led faction will soon arise.
The minister added that PML-N’s senior politicians held two meetings with the military leadership, with the first meeting lasting for five hours. and the second for three. “In one meeting, Khawaja Asif and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal held an hours long meeting with military leadership while in other meeting Shehbaz Sharif and I sat on same table and ate dinner,” he said.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at a press conference in Karachi said that those conversations are meant to be confidential, and that certain people need to refrain from revealing their details.
“Whenever there s a national security issue, whether it concerns India, AJK [Azad Jammu and Kashmir], GB [Gilgit-Baltistan], FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas], extremism and terrorism, we were, are today and will be together on these in the future,” he said, adding that the PPP and other political parties were approached on September 18 or 19 and invited to a national security briefing on GB.
Bilawal commented that these meeting are officially ‘off-the-record’, and said that he had no choice but to talk about the it “out of helplessness”.
“Some irresponsible persons [Rasheed] who have nothing to do with national security, GB, AJK or foreign policy, and who did not say a word in this meeting, are giving statements on every TV channel these days,” he said.
“I think such actions make national security and foreign policy issues controversial. And whoever’s spokesperson this [person] is, they should immediately ask them to shut up and not say anything irresponsible,” Bilawal said. “You can never be able to create consensus on any issue if such things happen,” he added.
PML-N Ahsan Iqbal denied reports of any one-on-one meeting with army leadership and said that Rasheed was lying about the meeting.
On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz denied reports of a meeting between Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and representative of former premier Nawaz. She was at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for a hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield House reference. When asked about the meeting, she said, “I do not know about dinner, maybe it was not a dinner [but] I heard about the meeting.”
She further said political decisions should be made in the parliament and not at the General Headquarters (GHQ).
سیاسی معملات پر جس نے بات کرنی ہے ان کو پارلیمنٹ آنا چاہیے، مسلم لیگ (ن) نائب صدر مریم نواز شریف pic.twitter.com/UuLGy3KWAG
“From what I understand it was called to discuss Gilgit-Baltistan which is a political issue, an issue of the people’s representatives, for them to solve and deliberate upon,” she said.
Maryam said that political issues should be discussed in the parliament and political leadership should be allowed to resolve problems of political nature.
Later, replying to Maryam’s statement, the railways minister remarked, “The day Maryam Safdar starts speaking the truth will be the end of her political career”.
The Pakistan Army finally broke its silence over the controversial statements made about the alleged meetings of political leadership with the military leadership, confirming that the opposition leaders had met with the military top brass twice in past few months.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major-General Babar Iftikhar told a private television channel that former Sindh governor and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mohammad Zubair had met with the army chief not once but twice in past some weeks.
“One meeting was held in the last week of August and the second meeting was held on September 7. ISI DG was also present in both meetings. Both the meetings were held on request made by Mohammad Zubair and in both the meetings, Zubair raised issues regarding Mian Nawaz Sharif sahib and Maryam Nawaz sahiba,” the military’s spokesperson said.
It is good that DG ISPR, has named PML (N) leader who net not once but twice with army chief and discussed Nawaz and Maryam’s cases. Zubair’s version was too weak. The PML (N) has to come out with explanation or admit NRO request.
“In these meetings, the army chief made it clear to him that the legal issues of both of them would be resolved in Pakistani courts and political issues would be resolved in Pakistani parliament. Army should be kept away from these issues,” the ISPR DG said, adding that he would make no more comments over the issue.
Following ISPR DG’s comments, PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair also confirmed his meetings with the COAS Bajwa.
“Army chief termed matters against the PML-N leaders as legal affairs and said that courts should decide on them,” he said while quoting General Bajwa, and further added that such meetings are held in secret.
I just love how Maryam Safdar keeps exposing herself.
1. Meri London mein tou kia, Pakistan mein bhi koi property nahi
The second meeting was held in the presence of ISI DG, the PML-N leader said. He denied seeking any relief for Nawaz and Maryam during the meetings and said that they discussed political matters.
Zubair claimed that Maryam was unaware of the meetings initially but he later apprised her regarding the contacts made by him. “If I had been seeking relief for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz then they would have known prior to the meeting,” Zubair said.
He further expressed his ignorance as to why details regarding the meetings are being conveyed to the media.
