Allegations regarding BISE scandal: Dar serves legal notice on two PPP leaders

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Senator Ishaq Dar on Monday served legal notices on two Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders-MNA Imtiaz Safdar Warraiach and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed for 'damaging' his reputation by levelling false allegations against him.
PPP leaders had alleged that Dr Majid Naeem, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education's (BISE) Information Technology (IT) Consultant and the key accused of the matter, was a relative of Senator Ishaq Dar, which the latter denied to have any family relations with the accused.
Dar served notices on the PPP leaders through his counsel Ashtar Ali Awsaf, asking the PPP leaders to withdraw the allegations and offer an unconditional apology before the public within 14 days after receiving the notices, otherwise, Dar warned they will not only be sued for the damages caused due to the allegations, but criminal proceedings could also be initiated against them.
"In the circumstances, our client requires you to tender unqualified withdrawal of the allegations levelled in the press conference and a public apology to our client within 14 days of the receipt of this notice, which should be given the same prominence as the press conference on November 10, 2011", said the notice served on both of the PPP leaders.
"If you are prepared to retract the allegations and apologise, our client acknowledges that this will mitigate the damages to which he is entitled. If however, you force him to go through a long drawn-out legal action in order to clear his name his only vindication will be an award of very substantial damages from a court of law", said the notice, a copy of which was also released to media.
The notice further adds: "But the proposed action will not be limited to civil damages. Commensurate with the nature of the allegations made, our client may also press criminal charges against you at your cost and risk." It says that Dar is an upright and responsible member of the community, who has served as the Federal Minister for Finance and Commerce, and is a professional Chartered Accountant and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. He has an oft-professed belief in upholding merit and transparency in government, and has an unblemished record of outstanding service to Pakistan, it added.
"It is regrettable that you have without due care and caution in a wanton fashion levelled false and frivolous allegations against him. Our client has also publicly stated that he has strictly self-imposed a rule prohibiting his family members in having any business relations with the Federal/Provincial Governments. Thus the allegation is a part of a concerted effort to vilify our client, and amounts to defamation. Dar has already denied any family relations with Dr Majid. Your comments come at a time when the sensitivities of the public are heightened to the issue at hand, and the consequences have the potential to be severe.
We find it remarkable that given the seriousness of the allegations and the expected fallout, no attempt was made to contact our client before the comments were made. Surely you must have acquainted yourself with the true facts. Even a cursory examination of the topic prior to your comments would have revealed that our client has repeatedly refuted any allegations of familial relations between himself and Dr Majid Naeem. Our client is neither related to nor acquainted with Dr Naeem," added the notice.