Maryam behind ‘fake vaccination entry conspiracy’: Gill

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill has accused PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz of creating the fake vaccine entry in the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, terming it a “conspiracy” to defame the country's coronavirus database.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Gill claimed that Maryam, along with a group of members of the Punjab Assembly, orchestrated the act. He said the PML-N leader has had a history of orchestrating such "conspiratorial" acts to defame the country.

The fake entry came to the government’s notice after the former prime minister’s name appeared in the record of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) as having received the first jab of Sinovac from the Government Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital - located in PML-N’s stronghold - on Sept 22 (Wednesday).

The embarrassing incident was immediately viewed as a blow to the PTI-led government’s claims about its successful vaccination campaign and as a blunder that sowed seeds of distrust about the Punjab government’s handling of the database.

Giving grounds for his allegations against the PML-N, the special assistant said that Naveed Altaf – the alleged person responsible for the act – was a resident of Shad Bagh and belonged to a family of ardent PML-N supporters and had now fled to Germany, adding that the government was working to bring him back.The special assistant said that the health facility where the false entry was made fell in the constituency of PML-N's Imran Nazir and Chaudhry Shahbaz.“

PML-N had a plan in place under which they got their own people appointed in institutions,” he said and pointed out that the “conspiracy” was also being exploited by the Indian media.

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Earlier, the Punjab government suspended the Medical Superintendent (MS) and a senior doctor of the hospital and directed them to report to the health department immediately.Furthermore, cases were registered against three other hospital employees, two of which were arrested.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has also lodged a separate case against two employees of the health facility, nominating two people in the case on the instructions of the Punjab government.

'Fake cases, fake vaccines'

Responding to Gill's allegations, PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said: "Not only did Nawaz Sharif's name get used for fake vaccines, but fake cases were also made against him."

"Everything that is fake in the country has been brought by PTI — a fake leader, fake change, and a fake government."PML-N Punjab spokesperson Azma Bukhari questioned how could Maryam Nawaz make such changes in the database.

"If the PML-N really is that powerful even today, then you should pack your bags and go home," she said.

On Thursday, Maryam Nawaz sounded alarms about the incident, saying that such "bogus acts of the government" reflected badly on the country internationally.“It will have serious repercussions as the international community can also raise questions over the authenticity of registration of Covid-19 vaccination,” she said while talking to media persons.