Islamabad (December 31, 2018): Federal Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad on Monday denied allegations that the federal government is seeking a power shift in Sindh at the expense of PPP and despite the top court’s annoyance over the issue, he once again demanded that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah should resign after his name appeared in a JIT report over fake bank accounts.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, he said how Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari can topple the PTI government when even his father, former president Asif Ali Zardari had failed to achieve that in past, Express News reported.
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Tempers between Sindh and the PTI-led federal government have flared over the last week after the latter placed on the exit control list (ECL) 172 suspects named in a report compiled by a joint investigation team probing a fake bank accounts case. Among those placed on the no-fly list is Shah.
In the aftermath of the ECL placements, speculation had become rife that PTI is eyeing a power shift in Sindh by imposing governor’s rule — something Chaudhry denied today.
“All we demand is the resignation of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah,”
“We never said that governor rule should be imposed in Sindh. Media did report it as such but then it has its own way of dealing with issues.
“We have decided [not to endorse] the impression that we are changing the government in Sindh. All we say is that Murad Ali Shah should be relieved of his post. Our two ministers had also tendered resignations when charges against them had materialised.”
“The mandate for this change is with the Sindh Assembly representatives, and I am glad that they are amping up the pressure on the chief minister [to resign].”
Earlier in the day, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s postponed his Karachi visit, the Press Information Department said in a statement on Monday.
The minister was scheduled to arrive in Karachi today evening, as rumours of governor’s rule and calls for resignation of the provincial chief minister heat up the political atmosphere in Sindh.
Chaudhry was to meet allies and like-minded leaders in a bid to extract maximum support from the lawmakers to outnumber PPP representatives in the provincial house, as reports of change of leadership continue to make the rounds.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf accelerated efforts to seek allies in Sindh over the weekend. High-level leaders including Governor Imran Ismail, State Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi and Haleem Adil Sheikh met with local lawmaker Ali Gohar Mehar on Sunday to discuss the political dynamics of the province.
Chaudhry, however, dismissed rumours of imposition of governor’s rule in Sindh and abolishment of the 18th Amendment.
Earlier today, Chaudhry called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in the federal capital. According to sources, the current political environment and the situation in Karachi was discussed during the meeting.
SC Orders Govt To Review Decision of Placing 172 on ECL
The Supreme Court ordered the federal government to review its decision to place 172 individuals including prominent politicians on the Exit Control List, as it resumed hearing the long-running mega money laundering and fake bank accounts case on Monday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, who is leading a two-judge bench hearing the Suo Motu case, expressed anger at the inclusion of Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah and others on the no-fly list and questioned how the federal government could justify adding 172 individuals to the ECL.
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Irked at the government’s move, the chief justice wondered how all these individuals could be barred from flying.
“How can the chief executive of the country’s second-biggest province be put on the ECL?” Justice Nisar asked the attorney-general in attendance.
“We had summoned replies from these individuals, but the government placed them on the ECL,” the top judge remarked.
“What if the next name on the ECL is that of NAB chairman? Tomorrow your name could be added too!” Justice Nisar stated in his remarks to the attorney general.
“Who did this?” the judge asked, to which the attorney general replied that he would look into the matter.
“We will look into it ourselves,” Justice Nisar remarked.
“We cannot allow the government to be removed simply on the basis of a report,” the judge continued, adding that the court had not yet endorsed the JIT report.
“It won’t [take us] even a minute to scrap the governor’s rule if anyone imposes it,” he warned.
Addressing Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi, who was summoned by the apex court in relation to the placement of suspects’ names on the ECL, Justice Nisar warned that no one would be allowed to overstep the legal ambit.
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“Tell your elders, this country will only be run according to the Constitution,” the judge observed and instructed the minister to take the ECL matter to the cabinet for review.
It is pertinent to mention that a Joint Investigation Team probing the money laundering case had held the Zardari and Omni groups responsible in its report submitted to the apex court last Monday. The report had also suggested that all the suspects in the case be placed on the ECL.
In view of the JIT findings, the federal government on Friday released a list of 172 suspects whose names were placed on the no-fly list. The list included Bilawal, Zardari, Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presidents of a number of local banks, and other former ministers and bureaucrats.
CJP Takes Notice of Fake Viral Audio Clip
In the hearing held today at the Supreme Court, Justice Saqib Nisar took notice of the audio of Lateef Khosa (Zardari Group’s lawyer in the case) that went viral on social media a few days back.
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As the hearing session commenced, Lawyer Lateef Khosa addressed the issue of a fake audio tape that went viral onto his name.
Justice Mian Saqib responded, “Mr. Khosa whoever has done wrong will have to suffer its consequences, only justice prevails in the court and I hope you tell it to your clients too.”
Further, CJP took the lawyer in confidence that he himself will ask from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that who uploaded the fake audio clip.
Zardari, Faryal Talpur Ordered to Submit Replies
Supreme Court ordered Former President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryla Talpur to submit their replies to the report of a Joint Investigation Agency (JIT) this week in the Mega Money Laundering Scam.
Discussing the allegations that surfaced against Farooq Hamid Naek, the Apex Court rejected the recommendation for his removal as the Chief Defendant lawyer in the Fake Bank Accounts Case.
Further, the Top Court issued orders, allowing Farooq Naek to continue as counsellor of Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur.
It is pertinent to mention that the son-in-law of Malik Riaz, Omni Group Owner Anwer Majeed and his son Ghani Majeed already submitted their replies to the Apex Court a few days back.
The Case
The Federal Investigation Agency is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.
The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed a close aide and Omni Group chairman and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August.
Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.
The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.
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