–PML-N denounces raid, calls it product of Imran Khan’s ‘fascist mind’
LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday conducted a raid on the central secretariat of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Model Town in connection with former accountability court judge Arshad Malik’s video case, prompting strong condemnations from the erstwhile ruling party.
The purpose of the raid was “to confiscate material related to the case”, a source said.
According to PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar, a four-member FIA team, including a woman officer, were allowed inside the building after they showed warrants. The party, however, had no prior information about the raid, he added.
He said that the FIA seized a computer hard drive which contained data related to the party’s internal matters.
Tarrar further said that the government had been provided with the “original video” by Nasir Butt, the man in whom Malik had allegedly confided, but no forensic examination had been carried out. “Now you can examine the material you (FIA) have confiscated today,” he said.
“Even the Supreme Court said that Arshad Malik had disgraced the judiciary […] How much has he been interrogated that now raids are being conducted at our party secretariat and we are being issued notices?” he asked.
“This is Imran Khan Niazi’s fascism and a machination of his vengeance,” Tarar added, alleging that the newly appointed director-general of the FIA, Wajid Zia, has “an anti-PML-N mindset”.
In addition, the FIA also summoned several PML-N leaders for inquiry in the case. The agency asked Tarrar to appear before it on Thursday, whereas former information minister Parvaiz Rashid and Uzma Bukhari were also issued summons to appear before the agency on December 30.
PML-N spokesperson Marriyam Aurungzeb also condemned the raid on the party’s central secretariat in a strongly-worded statement.
In a statement, she said the party has decided to register an FIR of dacoity against Wajid Zia. She said this illegal raid by FIA has proved that everything ex-FIA DG Bashir Ahmed Memon said in a news report was true to the last word.
This also proved that the video of Judge Malik was absolutely authentic and he sentenced Nawaz Sharif under pressure. This raid, Marriyum said, was done on the orders of Imran Khan. Just because this imposed regime of the selected Prime Minister could not find a single evidence of corruption, he has now stooped down further to use FIA to harass and pressurize PML-N.
The former Information Minister said that the ex-DG had refused to become an instrument of Imran Khan’s political victimization after which the infamous ‘gems from the JIT’ were once again called to rip up the constitution, law and order of the republic to pieces, she said.
Such acts of shallow and petty hooliganism cannot deter PML-N, she said, adding the biggest culprit of misuse of authority Imran has now corrupted another institution after NAB.
A video of Judge Arshad Malik was leaked by the PML-N in a press conference in which the former judge was seen admitting that he was blackmailed to give a verdict against PML-N’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
It is pertinent to mention here that Malik, in December 2018, had sentenced the former premier to seven years in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.
On July 12, Malik was relieved from his duties by the federal government for his alleged involvement in the scandal. The same day, Malik had penned a letter to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) wherein he refuted PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s claims that he was offered Rs100mn as bribe.
On August 22, the Islamabad High Court had ordered disciplinary proceedings against Malik for violating the code of conduct.
