Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif had sought no favour while commenting on the recent audio leaks featuring conversations between functionaries of note.
The prime minister made the comments while speaking to journalists. He said Maryam had never sought any favour for son-law Raheel. Dr Tauqeer, he said, was speaking to him about how Raheel had imported machinery for a sugar mill from India during the PTI’s stint in office. One half of the mill’s fixtures had been imported when trade with India was halted. Raheel’s application, he said, was on facilitating the import of the remaining machinery. The matter would have been placed before the Economic Coordination Committee since trade with India stood halted, the prime minister said. “The federal cabinet would have perused it after.” Shehbaz said it was then decided to not pursue the matter given the Indian connection.
The prime minister contrasted the turn of events with how audio pertaining to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan received a muted response. “Has anybody even heard the conversation on diamonds being presented? What about land gifted to them,” Shehbaz asked. He said nobody had commented on the latter audios but everybody was commenting on the former.
The prime minister said the recent audio leaks purportedly featuring voices of senior government functionaries constituted a grave lapse. Shehbaz said any well-wisher wanting to speak in confidence would think twice before proceeding to the Prime Minister’s House (PMO) thinking how it was bugged. He said the matter was not about him as a individual. It instead, he said, constituted an affront to the dignity of millions of Pakistanis and the State (of Pakistan).
Shehbaz said he had taken notice of the matter and a high-powered committee will be constituted to probe the matter. The committee, he assured, would ascertain the truth of the matter.
