Audio-video leaks expose politician’s contradictory approach
POLITICIANS may deny their statements. But, it is not the job of statesmen to deny their statements.
Political philosophers of the past opine that some immoral activities such as deceit, theft and falsehood are the principles of politics.
Regrettably, since the present political crisis started on April 9, 2022 when the former Prime Minister Imran Khan-Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was ousted through a no-confidence motion, politicians of the PTI and an alliance of the PDM follows immoral activities of the past.
Setting aside, Pakistan’s present multi-faceted crises, they have changed their political differences into political enmity by ignoring the principle of moral ethics.
In this regard, a renowned website Dylo. In wrote on December 21, this year: “Multiple audio leaks of the former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have already taken the sheen out of his projected image, that of an honest man.
The latest leaks target his projected image, that of a reformed playboy who is deeply religious and profoundly pious in the true Islamic way.
Recordings of his explicit phone sex calls with multiple women have been leaked to the pleasure of the connoisseur of the lasciviously lurid.
A conversation purportedly between Imran Khan and a woman party leader is quite revealing.
”Recently, media disclosed: “The Ayla Malik and Imran Khan story has many twists, alleged audio leaks only latest…In 2011, she joined Imran Khan’s PTI…The phone recordings doing the rounds on social media in 2022 are most likely from this period, when the two were extremely close.
” Ayla Malik quitted Khan’s party in 2017, stating that PTI was no longer pursuing the policies of public welfare.
And PTI is being investigated for receiving foreign funding which is forbidden for political parties in Pakistan.
In the documents submitted to the court, Ayla Malik was shown to have received Rs 70 lakh from party funds.
Notably, several audios have been leaked online in a span of few months involving PTI and incumbent government.
Another audio leak was of Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi in which she talked about the controversial Toshakhana gifts.
Bushra played a key role in selling a number of gifts, including a watch, the ex-PM Khan received.
Reportedly, the two-part audio clip was shared by Pakistani journalist Syed Ali Haider on his YouTube channel in which Khan can be heard engaged in phone sex with a woman in lewd language.
Media suggest that the first audio related to PTI was leaked on September 28, 2022 in which Khan allegedly told his then — Principal Secretary Azam Khan to play politics on the US cypher.
On social media the ostensible voice of Imran Khan can be heard as saying to his party’s top leaders that “under no circumstances the country where the conspiracy emerged from must be named.
The second PTI audio leak came to the fore on September 30, this year, which allegedly exposed Khans conspiracy narrative.
In fact, in his various public rallies and statements, former Premier Imran Khan has almost repeated similar contradictory approach, while criticising his rival politicians, the Pakistan Army and its former army chief, Gen.Qamar Javed Bajwa. He rapidly takes u-trun.
In the recent past, in his various statements and public rallies, PTI Chairman Khan has repeatedly mentioned his vision of Riyasat-i-Madina (state of Madina).
Speaking on the second day of the two-day National Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen Conference on January 17, 2022, PM Khan said: “We can rise as a nation by following the guiding principles of the Last Prophet (PBUH) [who] raised the level of morality in society and created the distinction between good and evil.
Muslims of Riyasat-i-Medina had high moral standards and were endowed with values of justice, equity and rule of law.”
Nevertheless, Khan’s guiding principles of Riyasat-i-Madina in connection with Pakistan are quite opposite to his contradictory statements and audio leaks which show his double standards.
It is mentionable that Linda Tripp, the former US civil servant whose secretly taped telephone conversations with a former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, documented the sex scandal between her and the then President Bill Clinton.
The Washington Post on August 18, 1998 pointed out that President Clinton who earlier denied, acknowledged that he had an inappropriate relationship with onetime intern Monica Lewinsky and deceived the American people about it.
According to the BBC, “Former President Bill Clinton claimed that his affair with Monica Lewinsky was a way of managing his anxieties.
Mr.Clinton was impeached in 1998 for lying to investigators about his relationship with Ms.Lewinsky. He was acquitted at his Senate trial.
” It is noteworthy, new audio tape leaked on social media on October 13, this year purportedly featuring PM Shahbaz Sharif in which he can allegedly be heard conversing Ayaz Sadiq who claims the PPP members are demanding a share from the quota of the SAPM [Special Assistant to PM.] Shahbaz is heard replying, “Yes, of course. Bilawal said so.
” Besides two audios leaked on September 25, 2022, related to a discussion about the PTI lawmakers’ resignations and the other was about former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, on September 13, 2022, leaked audio went viral on social media — allegedly featuring PM Shahbaz and other top party leaders—talking about London’s permission to accept the resignations of PTI.
Before that, a leaked video allegedly featuring Primier Shahbaz contained a discussion regarding PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz asking for a power plant from India to be imported for her son-in-law.
The PM had instituted a high-power investigation committee to probe the issue; particularly the leaks which involved the PM House.
Nonetheless, PTI leaders have termed the latest audio clip aimed at blackmailing the PTI, including all other ones as ‘fake.
’ Although PDM politicians have forsaken the principle of moral ethics, but, it is more surprising that the ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan who wants to make Pakistan Riyasat-i-Madina has totally ignored the same.
So, audio-video leaks expose politician’s contradictory approach.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
