In Pakistan, the fight over power often provokes people to spin the law towards their own interests and misuse state institutions to reach political ends. Under such conflictual situations, state institutions are often used by the politician in power to persecute opponents.
Now, former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director Bashir Memon has leveled serious allegations against Prime Minister Imran Khan and federal ministers, prompting a debate in the country over the use of the agencies for personal purposes.
However, the government has vehemently denied the allegations while the opposition has decided to take up the matter vigorously.
Bashir Memon’s allegations
Speaking to a private TV channel on Tuesday night, Bashir Memon said that he was approached by Shahzad Akbar and Farogh Naseem to prepare a charge sheet against Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other opposition leaders during his tenure as the FIA director-general.
He said Naseem and Akbar also wanted him to proceed against Justice Isa on money laundering charges but he had refused to do, adding that the agency had no grounds to act especially in the matter of an apex court judge.
Memon said he met the prime minister who told him to pursue cases against corrupt people but was unsure what the prime minister was referring to. 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 was taken to the office of the prime minister’s advisor on accountability Shahzad Akbar where he came to know the case PM Imran was referring to was to be filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. He told Akbar categorically that it was not possible for him to do that, saying that he was then taken to the law minister’s office where Naseem also convinced that a case against Justice Isa could be filed.
Cases against opposition
Bashir Memon claimed that he was told to proceed against several opposition leaders, including PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Asif, Javed Latif, Maryam Nawaz and PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Khursheed Shah.
The former FIA head commenting on Khawaja Asif said that being in possession of an Iqama was not a crime as it was a work permit. He claimed that the government wanted him to arrest Asif for the time being, adding that the same was asked when it came to Maryam Nawaz.
Memon had alleged that he was summoned to the highest office and was told to register a terrorism case against members of Maryam Nawaz’s social media cell after a picture of the first lady was circulated on social media in October 2020.
Akbar, Faroogh Naseem reject allegations
PM’s adviser on accountability Shahzad Akbar and Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem have vehemently rejected the allegations.
Akbar said Memon had committed “slander” and said he had directed his lawyers to initiate legal action against the former FIA head. He said Memon was never called for any meeting with the prime minister and there was not between him and the law minister.
Law minister Naseem said all allegations levelled by Memon were false and baseless, adding that he never spoke a word to the former DG FIA about Justice Isa. He also pointed that Azam Khan, Shahzad Akbar and Bashir Memon had never shown up at his office, contrary to Memon’s allegations.
Maryam demanded to probe allegations
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz demanded to set a judicial commission to probe the allegations by Bashir Memon against the prime minister.
Maryam accused the prime minister of being involved in political engineering, adding that he was using the Prime Minister’s Office to threaten and pressurize heads of institutions to file fake cases against the opposition.
She said the result is that Pakistan has been put to shame in front of the entire world, 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 but the prime minister was least concerned with these issues.
Maryam praised Justice Qazi Faez Isa, saying that he upheld the principles of truth and justice and will be the future chief justice. She said it was disgraceful that the government wanted to file fake cases against a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
Govt should set judicial commission
Political victimization in our country is an open secret. Allegations against political opponents are common in Pakistan, but the statement of the head of a government agency cannot be rejected outright, while the important thing is that Bashir Memon has offered to hold an open inquiry against him if his claims were proofed to be incorrect.
The opposition has demanded an inquiry into the allegations, although the government has denied the allegations, if the allegations are baseless, the government should immediately set up an independent commission to investigate the allegations.
