ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Interior and Legal Affairs Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said that the incumbent government did not believe in political revenge and victimisation but those threatening the officials of constitutional bodies would have to face legal action.

Addressing a press conference along with PML-N leader Abid Sher Ali, the SAPM said that Islamabad police registered the First Information Report (FIR) against Fawad Chaudhry following the application of the Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

He said that the PTI leader used objectionable language and even threatened the head of the ECP, its members, officials and even their families in his interaction with the media in Lahore. He said that ECP was a constitutional body and it was a sheer violation as per Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to threaten such bodies or their officials. He said that Chief Election Commissioner was appointed by PTI after a consultation process and Fawad Chaudhry participated in the process.

He said that there could not be any dual standards in the provision of justice as one of the PML-N senators, Nihal Hashmi, had faced imprisonment for six months and was disqualified from his Senate seat for using objectionable language in the past. The SAPM said that the law should take its course if anyone is found involved in threatening the institutions and no dual standard would be adopted in such cases. During the press conference, two video clips were also screened in an attempt to show Fawad Chaudhry threatening ECP officials and their families of dire consequences over the appointment of caretaker chief minister in Punjab. Tarar said that, after the appointment of PTI nominee Hassan Askari as caretaker chief minister of Punjab at the time of the last general elections in 2018, the PML-N did not use any such language against the constitutional body.

Tarar said that the PML-N leadership including Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, and Marriyum Nawaz had to face imprisonment in fake cases while other leaders including Nihal Hashmi, Daniyal Aziz and Talal Chaudhry were disqualified as senators. The special assistant said that legal action should be taken without any discrimination. He said that the judiciary would have to review how one can be exempted after threatening the officials of constitutional bodies. He said that the arrest of Fawad Chaudhry should be dealt with as per the law instead of creating any 'poetic hype'. The special assistant said that Fawad Chaudhry would have to tender an unconditional apology and the myth about `untouchable PTI leaders’ would be eliminated through legal action.

He said that former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar legalised the offshore companies of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and declared him `Sadiq and Ameen’ which was totally against the spirit of justice. He said that Imran Khan had been found guilty in foreign funding and Toshakhana cases and he should be imprisoned in the cipher case propaganda and disqualified for concealing his alleged daughter’s name.

Tarar said that PTI had no political struggle and it came into power through "manoeuvring" against the wishes of the public. He said that FIR against Fawad Chaudhry invoked different sections including 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code and he would be produced in court in Islamabad for action as per law.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 26 2023

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