A team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raided the PML-N Secretariat Model Town Thursday and confiscated material from multimedia pertaining to video involving the former accountability judge Arshad Malik.
A four-member FIA team, including a female officer, had conducted the raid, sources said, adding that "The FIA personnel remained at the PML-N Secretariat for about two hours and questioned the employees present there."
The PML-N Deputy Secretary General Ataullah Tarar confirmed the raid saying that the FIA officials were allowed an entry after they produced a warrant. "We had no prior information about the raid," Tarar said, adding that "The raid was conducted to confiscate material related to a press conference conducted by PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz."
In July, Maryam Nawaz had held a press conference in which she played a secretly recorded video in which former accountability judge Arshad Malik was allegedly seen saying that he was pressured into convicting former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Al Azizia corruption reference.
Talking to the media after the raid, the PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar alleged that the government had interfered in judge Arshad Malik's removal as well. He alleged, "Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to 'spread confusion' and also bent upon locking up his political opponents through revengeful tactics but they will not let this happen."
The PML-N leader further said that the government had been provided with the 'original video' by Nasir Butt, but no forensic examination was carried out. "Now the FIA can examine the material it has confiscated today," he said.
Tarar said, "Nasir Butt went to the Pakistani High Commission in London, not once but many times, to submit the original video but the High Commission had directions from Imran Ahmed Niazi not to receive the video."
He also alleged that the 'circumstances' in which former FIA chief Bashir Memon had retired showed that "he had refused to obey Imran Ahmed Niazi's illegal directions and was punished for it."
A good number of PML-N activists also rushed to the party Secretariat and shouted slogans in favour of the party leadership and against the PTI leadership. They said the government cannot bow down the PML-N leaders from such tactics.
The FIA is conducting investigations into judge video scandal and has already summoned the PML-N leaders Ataullah Tarar, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and Uzma Bukhari on different dates. Uzma Bukhari is currently in London and her counsel Rana Zulfiqar Khan conveyed to the FIA officials that she cannot be available due to being abroad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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