Opposition should stop running campaign against judiciary, army: Fawad Ch

Fawad said ‘video leaks scandals’ surface whenever hearings of corruption cases of Sharifs approach

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Monday advised the opposition to stop the campaign launched by them to malign the state institutions, duly protected by the Constitution.

“I want to give advice to the opposition that it should stop running a campaign against judiciary and army and respect the Constitution which gives them full protection,” he said while talking to media persons after attending a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said the way, the opposition kept both of the institutions on their target through their leaders and social media account was ‘quite inappropriate’. “In my opinion it is a sheer violation of the Constitution,” he added.

Divulging details of the meeting, he said it was noted that ‘video leaks scandals’ surfaced whenever hearings of corruption cases of the Sharifs approached.

Fawad said the Panama scandal was investigated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and reported by a German newspaper, adding it had nothing to do with Pakistani media outlets.

Following an international investigation, he said the German newspaper revealed names of the world’s corrupt leaders including Nawaz Shairf. It was also revealed that Nawaz Sharif owned four flats in Mayfair, London where even a British Prime Minister could not afford purchase of the apartments in such posh area, he added.

He said when Maryam was asked about ownership of those flats after investigation; she flatly denied and said she did not have any property anywhere.

The minister also recalled that Maryam produced a document in the court to prove her innocence, but later it proved ‘fake’ due to its printing in the Calibri font which was not even launched by that time.

Lashing out at the Sharif family for getting failed to produce any genuine evidence before the court, public and media, the minister said many opportunities were given to them so that they could prove their innocence, but they rather resorted to delaying tactics and tricks for misleading the nation.

“Section 9 of NAB ordinance says that it shall be considered as a corrupt practice, if someone fails to prove the source of money from which a property was purchased,” he said while wondering as to why the Sharif family was not submitting their money trail in the court in their defense.

Almost every child in the country knew about corruption made by Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari during their governmental tenures, he said, referring to demand of the nation that the Sharif family must submit their money trail.

About the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections and i-voting for the overseas Pakistanis, Fawad said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should expedite the process in that regard and fulfill its responsibility as the law had already been passed.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid for taking up the matter related to the passport so the expatriate Pakistanis could vote in a hassle-free way.

The minister said International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme had been approved which ushered in economic stability.

To another query, he said Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan had informed the State Bank of Pakistan through a letter that funding of a programme recently held in a local hotel in Islamabad was ‘illegal’.

He reiterated that a thorough investigation would be conducted in the funding of that programme. EAD (Economic Division Affairs) had started investigating the funding and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would formulate a report on that matter. “We will proceed according to the law,” he added.