The latest accusations

PTI chief Imran cKhan seems to have a desire, beyond that natural to all politicians, to stay in the news, which is the only explanation for his claim that PPP Co-Chairman and ex-President Asif Zardari was going to behind an attempt on his life, after the one in Wazirabad on November 3 last year. He had earlier tried, but failed, to have the FIR registered against the Prime Minister, the Interior Minister. He offered no explanation why he waited two months before making this accusation. Nor did he explain why the central conspirator was now Mr Zardari. He called this a ‘Plan C’ after the ‘Plan B’ of having him killed at Wazirabad had failed. This time, he said, a terrorist would be paid by Mr Zardari to do the needful. The JIT on Wazirabad set up by the Punjab government is in confusion, with its Chairman issuing members show-cause notices, and the Centre setting up one, but with the victim refusing to cooperate. This latest claim comes after Mr Khan very publicly feared arrest, and called supporters to protect him at his Lahore Home, which was swiftly followed by the arrest of close aide Fawad Chaudhry.
Perhaps the most problematic issue is that Mr Khan has made claims which have no evidence to back them up. Mr Khan has so far not presented any evidence, not even bad or tainted evidence, to back up any of his claims. Even hic claim about Mr Zardari, for example, that he has a lot of money from corruption, has not been proved in any court of law. Indeed, Mr Zardari, who has faced numerous allegations, has had to spend several years in jail. Indeed, this is not the first time he has been accused to murder, including such victims as brother-in-law Murtaza Bhutto and wife Benazir Bhutto. However, this is not really supposed to be his modus operandi, and though a few of his political opponents have died violently over the years, he has not been accused of their murders.
There is a problem with the libel laws. If those he accuse knew he would either be made to produce his evidence, or be made to pay damages if they went to court, he would be more careful about what he said. The absence of punishment has led to impunity, and if Mr Khan was to look at it closely, he would prefer this, because he too has had various charges flung at him, none of which he hass bothered taking to court.