ISLAMABAD, Oct 6 (APP):Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Wednesday expressed the belief that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Safdar in connivance of his father Nawaz Sharif was leading Indian malicious campaign aimed at maligning national security institutions of the country.
“The entire world knows that how India runs a campaign to malign Pakistan Army and does not waste any opportunity, which it can use to run fake and concocted news against Pakistan Army. Today, I am forced to say that Maryam Safdar is leading the Indian malicious campaign against the Pakistan Army in the country,” the minister told to media persons.
Farrukh’s remarks came in the backdrop of persistent verbal onslaught of the PML-N leadership against the state institutions on the social and mainstream media.
Referring to recent petition filed by Maryam in which she suddenly changed her position in the case being heard by the court in her conviction in the Avenfield apartment case, the minister asked Maryam as to why she did not mention the top official of one of the state institutions in her petition three years ago.
“What are the reasons that you have been seeking adjournments against an appeal filed by yourself. Have you ever fought your any case on merit,” he questioned and said Maryam had nothing to supplement her arguments in the appeal for which she used some ‘arguments’ of a former disqualified judge.
The minister also took exception to the plea taken by the former judge in his disqualification case, alleging of some sort of ‘influence’.
Farrukh said it was the habit of PML-N to attack the state institutions including the National Accountability Bureau and the apex court. “They can go to any length to malign state institutions for their personal interests,” he added.
They could compromise national interests over their own vested interests, he said while recalling Nawaz Shairf’s criticism of the state institutions from abroad, he added.
“I want to tell the nation that our security forces are rendering relentless efforts to defend our country. Our Jawans (soldiers) and officers have sacrificed their lives for protecting our borders and rooting out terrorism,” he added.
He said the government would not let the Sharif family avail relief in the corruption cases by attacking the state institutions.
He said the PML-N leaders should be ashamed of themselves after the Shairf family used a past case of Zardari in which their leadership influenced the court as a plea in their own case to save their skin.
“I want to tell the nation that the Sharif family itself was charge sheeted in the case which they used as plea, because in this case Shehbaz Sharif was passing directions to Justice (R) Qayyum for writing decision against their opponents (Zardari family),” he added.
The minister said they had nothing to argue in their case that was why they were taking the decision of that case as plea to malign the state institution.
“There are facts and that clearly state that Maryam Safdar is beneficial owner of the flats purchased in London,” he said, adding their assets in London was bought through ill-gotten money and corruption.
In the case of Panama Papers, there were evidences and an opportunity of fair trial was ensured, he said, adding the Sharif family even got bails on medical grounds and their leader Nawaz Sharif was at large despite his conviction in the case had been restored and his properties in Pakistan were going to be auctioned.
The minister said the money spent on purchasing the flats in London by Sharif family would be retrieved as the process of mutual legal assistance had been initiated with the host country.
“I want to assure the people of Pakistan that that money belongs to them and will be brought back to the country at all cost,” he maintained.
He dared Maryam to produce something concrete before the court if she had anything other than caliber font and Qattri letter.
Farrukh said he wanted to remind the nation of the facts of the case fighting by the Sharif family to defend their corruption.
“There is need to tell the people that as to who a three times Prime Minister of Pakistan looted the national exchequer ruthlessly and then laundered that money abroad while being into the power,” he added.
“When the Panama Papers were surfaced the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif spoke lie at the floor of house while telling the National Assembly that these are the means through which his family made assets abroad,” he said while recalling another conflicting stance of Nawaz Sharif which he took in the apex court after some seven months.
It was later revealed in the report of the Joint Investigation Team made to probe the Panama Papers that the then prime minister and his cabinet held Iqamas of foreign companies, he noted.
He said Maryam was the same woman who asserted in public that she did not own any property in Pakistan and abroad while his brother in a talk show said that his sister Maryam was the beneficial owner of the flats.
