ISLAMABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday said the leaked audio recording of an alleged telephonic conversation between former president Asif Ali Zardari and real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, in which Riaz was heard as saying that former premier Imran Khan wanted to reach out to Zardari for patch up would be considered authentic until Khan, Zardari or Riaz deny it.

Talking to reporters outside the Accountability Court, he said that neither Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan nor Asif Zardari has so far commented on the leaked conversation that suggests that the audiotape was probably authentic.

“Imran Khan should deny the conversation in the audiotape under oath, and we would believe him”, he said, saying there will be no question left, if denial comes from Imran, Zardari, or Riaz.

About PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s claim that the audio is fake, he said that there is worth in Qureshi’s statement.

Regarding the PTI chief’s statement that his party will be moving Supreme Court to seek protection for their right to a peaceful protest, he said that the apex court would not allow the PTI to use its shoulders.

Murad said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari led the most successful long march.

He said that during the PTI’s long march, policemen were tortured.

“The government takes precautionary measures when there are talks of violence and chaos”, he said.

The chief minister said that the PTI workers staged a protest in Karachi without taking permission from the district administration. If they had a plan to stage a protest, they should have obtained prior permission from the local authorities, he said adding that we would have allocated a place for them for staging their protest demonstration.

He said that no one would be stopped from staging peaceful protests.

When he was asked that there are reports President Arif Alvi will not give assent to the Election Act Amendment Bill 2022 and the National Accountability Ordinance Amendment Bill 2022, he said that the president should assent to the bills passed by the parliament and not belittle the parliament.

Murad said that the ordinance tabled by the previous government regarding the NAB has further improved. The president cannot reject the bills but he can send them back for reconsideration, he said, adding that for reconsideration of the bill, a joint sitting of the parliament will be convened and after approval, the Parliament would send it again to the president for approval.

After that, if the president failed to approve it within nine days and 23 hours these bills would automatically be deemed assented, he said.

Earlier, he and other accused appeared before the Accountability Court-III judge Syed Asghar Ali in the illegal award of contracts in Sindh Nooriabad Power Companies (SPNC-I and SPNC-II) case.

Wasim Javed, prosecutor National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Hammad Kamal, investigation officer (IO) NAB, and Arshad Tabraiz, counsel for the accused appeared before the court.

The NAB prosecutor submitted its reply regarding the acquittal applications of accused Sultan Farooq, Syed Masoodul Hassan, Shazia Jaffer, and others.

The defense counsel said that the parliament has passed a new NAB amendment bill and forwarded it to the president for his assent and publishing in the gazette notification. He requested the court to adjourn the case till the enforcement of the new law.

The judge inquired when the new law will be enforced. The defense counsel told the court that it will be enforced immediately after the assent of the president.

The court adjourned the case till June 16.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022

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