LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Ejaz Chaudhry has denied the authenticity of an audio recording that surfaced on Wednesday, claiming that the audio was tampered with.
According to Chaudhry, the voice in the audio was indeed his, but three or four clips were added to it, which distorted the original context.
The leaked audio allegedly features Chaudhry asking Chaudhry Hafeez, an aspirant for a party ticket for the Punjab election, to donate Rs10 million and meet party chief Imran Khan.
Chaudhry was heard telling Hafeez that there is no limit to the donations for the Shaukat Khanum Hospital.
The audio introduced a voice as “Chaudhry Hafeez from Nawab Shahwala, talking from Islamabad and wanting a ticket for Rana Shaukat for PP-114.”
Hafeez questioned Chaudhry about the amount of money required for the party ticket and the donation for the hospital. Chaudhry replied that the amount for the hospital was Hafeez’s choice, but to meet Khan, the donation should be above Rs10 million.
Hafeez then inquired about when to deposit the money and call for a meeting, to which Chaudhry replied that the party would issue tickets in a day or two.
Chaudhry said he stands by what he has said and that the audio has been doctored. The PTI leader’s denial casts a shadow on the authenticity of the audio, and the party has yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter.
