Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Thursday “strongly rejected” the claim made by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that a federal minister had threatened him with the ouster of the Sindh government.
The chief minister had alleged that a federal minister had threatened him that the provincial government would be sent packing if an FIR was not lodged against PML-N leader Captain Safdar for allegedly disrespecting the Mazar-e-Quaid’s sanctity.
“I condemn this lie and strongly reject it,” Faraz, flanked by PM’s Adviser on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar, said in a press conference on Thursday.
On the other hand, advisor to PM Shahzad Akbar referred to the Opposition as the “IG of liars”, claiming that PTI workers had only been involved in the filing of an application for the FIR and not the arrest itself.
Akbar, while presenting the “facts” as per the “timeline” of the case, noted: “A few days ago, there had been a ruckus at the Mazar-e-Quaid.”
“First, there was a ruckus. After the ruckus, some people from Karachi, including PTI workers, gave an application at a police station to file an FIR,” Akbar said.
The advisor explained that under the established procedure, the police recevies an application and then reports it. He added that police officials then form an opinion, take a legal view on the situation and thereafter register an FIR.
“PTI’s total role in all this was that we gave an application. The laws that were [allegedly] violated were written down and a written application was given that action should be taken,” said the adviser.
The PM’s aide said that after this process, “everyone’s role finished” and the role of the Sindh government started. “After we woke up in the morning, we saw that an FIR had been registered at night and Safdar Awan was arrested,” Akbar claimed.
