ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party has asked National
Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to restrict retired Capt Muhammad
Safdar from adjudicating an allegation against him (Capt Safdar) that he
gave Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Rs50 million over the Faizabad
sit-in.
In a letter to the speaker, MNA Shazia Marri has
asked how an MNA could convene the meeting when the agenda item was
clearly related to an allegation against him and it was a blatant
example of conflict of interest.
The letter is available with Dawn.
It
is worth noting here that the meeting of the NA Standing Committee on
Information Technology and Telecommunication has been scheduled for Dec
11 at Parliament House.
The notice of the meeting, which
has five agenda points shows that one of the points includes a
briefing/discussion on alleged videotape which shows the supply of Rs50m
to the Faizabad sit-in leaders by Mr Safdar. It is also mentioned that
the meeting of the standing committee will be chaired by Mr Safdar.
In
the letter MNA Marri, who is also a member of the committee, has said
that she wants to lodge her protest against conflict of interest as the
person who has been facing the allegation will chair the meeting in
which the matter against him will be discussed.
“I fail
to understand how an MNA can convene the meeting when the agenda item is
clearly related to an allegation against him? This is a blatant example
of conflict of interest, which sadly is not being realised. For more
information, the notice for this meeting is a revised one that was
issued on the 6th of December, 2017, while the earlier notice was issued
on the 30th of November, 2017, where the agenda did not bear the item
mentioned above,” she has stated in the letter.
“Therefore,
I request you to kindly intervene in order to ensure that the person
being alleged of an offence is not allowed to act as judge in his own
case. Your cooperation would be highly appreciated,” she said.
Supporters
of a religious group in November reached Islamabad and held a sit-in at
Faizabad interchange. They announced that they will not disperse unless
then law minister Zahid Hamid resigned. On Nov 25 the district
administration tried to remove them by using force but the operation
badly failed as a large number of officials of law enforcement agencies
were injured. After that the law minister had to resign and protesters
were dispersed.
However, a video circulating on social
media appears to show Mr Safdar, who is a son-in-law of former prime
minister Nawaz Sharif, supplying Rs50m to the sit-in leaders.