Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to steer clear of the video leak controversy involving accountability court judge Arshad Malik, who had reportedly told a close aide to Nawaz Sharif that he had been “blackmailed and pressured” to convict the former prime minister.
The video tape purportedly shows Judge Malik telling Nasir Butt that he was “blackmailed and coerced” into convicting Sharif despite having no evidence against the former prime minister.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz claimed that the authorities had already conducted a forensic audit of the video tape, and after being told that it is authentic, the prime minister decided not to interfere in the matter.
In another development, Judge Malik met Islamabad High Court’s acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and reportedly briefed him on the alleged video tape.
Communications Minister Murad Saeed and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar confirmed at a joint press conference that the government wanted an investigation into the video leak, under the Supreme Court or the Islamabad High Court.
Prime Minister Khan chaired a meeting of his spokesmen and media advisers and decided that the government should not intervene in the video tape controversy because if investigations are carried out by the government, the opposition would never accept it and exploit it for political gain.
An insider revealed that the Prime Minister Khan is of the view that video tape scandal must be investigated but on the initiative of the superior judiciary and not by the government.
He said that the judiciary is independent and not answerable to the government.
“The judiciary should order a forensic audit of the video tape, and whatever decision the judiciary will take in this regard, the government will fully facilitate it,” Khan was quoted as saying.
He said the government would not allow anyone to attack the country’s prestige and state institutions.
“All conspiracy to make institutions controversial will be foiled,” he added.
The prime minister said that despite the PML-N having a history of threatening and attacking the judiciary, investigations into the accountability of its leaders would continue.
Interestingly, before Khan’s decision to stay away from the controversy, leaders of his ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had been demanding forensic audit of the video tape.
On Sunday, Judge Malik issued a press release denying the content of the video and demanded action against those involved in making what he called “false, fake and concocted” video tape.
The judge had on December 4, 2018 convicted Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, but acquitted him in Flagship Investments reference.
PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz – Sharif’s daughter – meanwhile said on a private TV talk show that she had information that the government had already got conducted a forensic audit of the video tape and determined that it was not fake.
“Imran Khan sahib has taken another U-turn by deciding that the government will not interfere in it, after he got to know that the video tape was ‘genuine’ and not ‘fake’,” she said.
Maryam disclosed that she had another video tape and three audio tapes of Judge Malik, and that she would make public these tapes later.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Akbar said that the government had after a discussion decided that either the Supreme Court or the Islamabad High Court should take action on the video leak.
“The government wants its investigation, but on the orders of the judiciary,” he added.
He claimed that more cases of corruption would be opened against members of the Sharif family in the days to come.
“Very soon [we] will expose that how Sharifs were involved in obtaining kickbacks and commissions in mega national projects,” Akbar added.
He claimed that a couple of days ago Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had visited the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in connection with investigations into his cases, where he threatened officials with dire consequences if they did not close his cases.
Prime Minister Khan: The judiciary should order a forensic audit of the video tape, and whatever decision the judiciary will take in this regard, the government will fully facilitate it.
