Maryam Nawaz wants judicial commission to probe ex-DG FIA's claims about PM Imran Khan

• Maryam lashes out at PM Imran Khan over former DG FIA's remarks.
• PML-N leader says PM Imran Khan using PM Office to pressurise and threaten heads of institutions.
• PML-N will not let go of this matter, she says.

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ISLAMABAD: PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday reacted to ex-DG FIA Bashir Memon's remarks from the other day, demanding the judiciary set up a commission to probe the matter.

Memon had said on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath that PM Imran Khan had pressurised him to book Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Opposition leaders in different cases.

"Never before in Pakistan's history has a sitting prime minister, regardless of whether he is fake or an imposed one, been involved in such serious crimes," she said, referring to former DG FIA Bashir Memon's allegations.

"I am sure now people know what Sicilian Mafias are," she said, referring to a taunt often used by the government for the PML-N leadership.

She quoted Memon's remarks in which he alleged the prime minister had asked him to file cases against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. "You told them to first arrest [Opposition leaders] and later check what charges can be filed against them," she said, referring to the premier.

Maryam accused the prime minister of being involved in "political engineering", adding that PM Imran Khan was using the Prime Minister's Office to threaten and pressurise heads of institutions to file fake cases against the Opposition.

"The result [from the alleged witch hunt] is that Pakistan has been put to shame in front of the entire world," she said. "You have turned into an epic failure on every front," added the PML-N leader.

She said the situation of Pakistan was so dismal that countries were banning flights to and from the country. She said the country was suffering to the extent that most of its cities had turned into garbage dumps but the prime minister was least concerned with these issues.

"What is your performance, what do you do first thing in the morning when you wake up? You tell people [heads of institutions] to make fake cases against this person or that or throw people into jails," she said.

Maryam praised Justice Qazi Faez Isa, saying that he was a man who upheld the principles of truth and justice. She said it was disgraceful that the government wanted to file fake cases against a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

"The PML-N will not let go of this [episode] easily," she said. "This is a huge and very serious case. A conspiracy [that took place] over the past five years is hidden behind this case," she said.

She said a conspiracy is being hatched over the PML-N, adding that it began from the 2014 dharna staged by the PTI and has been continuing on since then. 

In response to a question, Maryam said she would continue to "fight Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Shaukat Siddiqui's battles" and that she had been doing so from the time when the media was not even allowed to air content over the matter. 

Maryam said the government was out to get Justice Isa owing to the verdict he gave in the Faizabad dharna case. She praised Justice Shaukat Siddiqui as well, wondering why the government was afraid of judges that were willing to uphold the truth.

"If these judges hadn’t stood up, if they hadn’t fought and show courage [against the government], then no one would have remembered them today," she said.

The PML-N leader said the government was being exposed while it is in power. She warned the prime minister, urging him to think about what will happen to him when he leaves office. 

Farogh Naseem, Shahzad Akbar reject ex-DG FIA's serious allegations

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Tuesday denied serious allegations levelled by ex-DG FIA Bashir Memon.

Memon, speaking on the Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath once again said he was asked by the prime minister himself to file cases against Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other Opposition leaders, during his tenure as the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) director-general.

Memon said Naseem and Akbar also wanted him to proceed against Justice Isa on money laundering charges, but he had refused to do so as, according to the ex-DG FIA, the agency had no grounds to do so especially in the matter of a Supreme Court judge.

Law minister Naseem and PM Imran Khan's advisor Akbar have both rubbished the former FIA chief's claim

In response to a question, Memon said he met the prime minister one day where the premier told him he was a "very good officer" and told him to pursue cases against corrupt people. The former DG FIA said he did not know later he would be asked to file a case against Justice Isa.

The ex-DG FIA said he wasn't sure what the prime minister was referring to. It was then that he was taken to the office of the premier's advisor on accountability, Akbar.

Memon said it was in Akbar's office that he got to know the case PM Imran was referring to was to be filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The ex-DG FIA said he told Akbar categorically that it was not possible for him to do that.

The former FIA chief said he was then taken to the law minister's office where Naseem was also convinced a case against Justice Isa could be filed. He said there, Dr Ashfaque of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was also present.

Memon claimed Dr Ashfaque was in possession of some data which Naseem believed could be used to file a case against Justice Isa. However, Memon said he told them point-blank that it was not possible for him to book the Supreme Court judge.

Among other allegations, Memon said he was asked by the prime minister to file terrorism cases against Maryam Nawaz and Khawaja Asif. 

He said the prime minister told him repeatedly "not to spare the Opposition" leaders which included Rana Sanaullah, Khurshid Shah and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.