Thorough probe to sort out facts about video scandal: Firdous

SIALKOT: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Sunday said the government would fulfill its responsibility to bring to light all the facts about the video drama, staged by the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leaders, before the nation.

Addressing a press conference here, she said it had been decided to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter to uncover all the dubious characters involved in the video scandal.

Dr Firdous said the video was totally fake and fabricated, and in fact a conspiracy against the judicial system. The PML-N's motive behind the video was political point scoring, she added.

The special assistant said the "PML-N gang of corrupt" led by Maryam Safdar was making a hue and cry to cover up her family's massive corruption and plundering of the national wealth while they were in power. Maryam Safdar, she said, was a "champion of telling lies".

She said the 'gang of corrupt politicians' should better give up their old tactics and negative politics. They should also refrain from misleading the people by such dramas, she added.

Dr Firdous said it was the government's responsibility to probe the matter. A thorough investigation would be conducted to bring the matter to its logical end and expose all the characters involved in the conspiracy.

She said the government had also ordered a forensic audit of the video.

She claimed that the audio and video was made by a media house under the supervision of Nasir Butt, who had many criminal cases of different nature pending against him.

She said different legal options were available to proceed into the matter. The government had all the rights to take legal action against all the characters behind the video scandal under the Pemra Ordinance, while the courts could also take any legal action against the accused.

Dr Firdous said the government was also successfully foiling conspiracies being hatched by the PML-N for weakening the national institutions. All of them would have to face the law, as no one was above the law, she added.

She said "Raj Kumari" (Maryam Safdar) and her "gang of the corrupt" were trying to weaken the national institutions for their personal political gains. However, they would not escape from the accountability process for the massive corruption they had committed while in power, she added.

She said Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik had already rejected the video, terming it fabricated.

The special assistant said the PML-N was fast moving towards its political demise. It was trying to create chaos in the country for political gains.

She said the former ruling party was responsible for the current price hike as its leadership had committed massive corruption and used national resources for their personal benefit.

The hue and cry being made by some political elements was aimed at diverting the people's attention from their corruption, she added.

She said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government believed in the supremacy of the rule of law and was taking steps to strengthen the democratic institutions and promote democracy at the grassroots level.

She said the government was making sincere efforts to steer the country out of crises and the people would observe a visible change in that regard in near future.

Dr Firdous said the former rulers promoted the culture of corruption only to prolong their power and in the process ruined the national economy. However, the  present government was endeavouring to make the country poverty and corruption free for a better future of the coming generations, she added.

She said several positive steps had been taken for strengthening the economy. The government was making all-out efforts to bring about radical changes in every fields of life and solve the problems being faced by the people, she added.

She said the government was trying to improve the economic conditions of working journalists. It was well aware of the economic problems of the journalist community and had decided to solve them on priority.

The special assistant said the government was also taking necessary measures for resolving the issues confronting the business community.

She said that government's efforts were aimed at keeping the industrial production wheel moving. Sine the business community was the backbone of the national economy, the government would announce a special business policy soon, she added.