PM wanted FIA to target Sharif family, opposition leaders, claims Bashir Memon

Former chief of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Memon has accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of pressurizing him to prosecute Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and other opposition leaders on serious charges with no evidence to do so.

In an interview to journalist Matiullah Jan, the former FIA chief said that whatever that is happening to captain (retired) Safdar now, and all other cases the National Accountability Bureau has filed, was exactly what the PM wanted Bashir to do.

He revealed that in a meeting at “the highest office” names like Shehbaz, Hamza and Salman Shehbaz came up. "In fact, their entire family was expected to be booked by me in 56 fake companies cases which are now before the court," Bashir said. He continued that he told them that being a provincial matter, this was beyond his mandate as head of FIA.

According to Bashir, the PM was resentful because he thought Bashir was lenient on the Sharif family and also accused him of 'being afraid of the Sharif family'.The former FIA chief further said when the PM wanted Khawaja Asif to be tried for treason under Article 6 of the Constitution for being employed in a Gulf country while being a defense minister, he told the PM that 'this could not be done because establishing the charge without evidence of treason would not be possible.'

He said he was also asked to charge a terrorism case against Maryam Nawaz and her social media team over a picture of the first lady circulating on social media. “I told them that this was not a terrorism case,” he said.

He said he was saved from all this pressure after the arrival of NAB chief Justice retired Javed Iqbal. "The pressure shifted away from me. I am indebted to him [ Javed Iqbal] for that.”