ISLAMABAD: A day after former Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) chief Bashir Memon claimed being approached by Shahzad Akbar and Farogh Naseem to prepare a charge sheet against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the ministers on Wednesday denied holding any conversation with the former on the matter.
“I have never discussed any issue regarding Justice Isa with Memon,” Minister for Law and Justice Naseem said in a tweet.
Completely refute baseless allegations leveled by Bashir Memon on Shazeb Khanzadas program Geo TV. I want to categorically state as follows :
1. I have never discussed any issue regarding Justice Qazi Faez Isa with Bashir Memon. 1/3
— Barrister Dr. Farogh Naseem (@Farogh_NaseemPK) April 27, 2021
“[Principal Secretary to Prime Minister] Azam Khan, Shahzad Akbar and Memon have never come to my office together. Azam Khan has only come to my office once and that was all by himself only to discuss legal reforms.”
The prime minister, his secretary, or Akbar “never ever stated to me that they have discussed anything with Memon” concerning Justice Isa, Naseem added.
Akbar also refuted the claims of any such meeting and dismissed those as “rubbish”.
“He [Memon] was never called for any meeting with PM or myself on Justice Qazi Faez Isa issue, and there was no meeting with the law minister and him as he claims,” he said through Twitter.
Just seen absolute rubbish uttered by Bashir Memon on Shazeb show. He was never called for any meeting with PM or myself on QFI issue, and there was no meeting with law minister and him as he claims.Similarly he was never told to start any case against any specific individual 1/2
— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) April 27, 2021
“Similarly, he was never told to start any case against any specific individual.”
Speaking to a television programme, Memon had further claimed that he was also summoned and asked to take notice of a picture of the first lady tweeted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and to charge her under terrorism clauses, something he claimed he refused to do.
He added that the government had also asked him to imprison Maryam for delivering anti-state speeches, which he refused to do as well.
‘GOVT USING INSTITUTIONS TO THREATEN OPP’:
Maryam accused the prime minister of using state institutions to threaten and silence opposition leaders and “put them behind bars”.
“Not even gangs and mafias commit the acts that are being committed from the Prime Minister’s House,” she said, in reference to Memon’s interview.
“Never in [Pakistan’s] history have such heinous crimes been committed […] and chiefs of institutions are ordered to frame cases [against opposition politicians].”
State institutions, she claimed, were being used for political engineering. “Now, people understand what mafias or gangs really are”.
Maryam also lauded Justice Isa for “fighting conspiracies” and said the government “achieved nothing but defeat”.
She also demanded the formation of a judicial commission to “investigate the conspiracy of a fake reference: against the judge.
IS the FIA boss a puppet that he has to follow what a minister has said and why didn’t he blow a whistle when this was happening. This man Memon, if found guilty of misconduct must be punished a great deal to set an example for others.
Many people among us have a character of corruption no matter what public office they hold. This has to be investigated and the old “Minister sahab ka pressure” culture has to end now.