Umar refutes Shehbaz, Maryam’s allegations

Says announcement for the transfer of ex-envoy to US was made four months ago

ISLAMABAD:

PTI leader Asad Umar on Wednesday refuted PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s allegations, saying the announcement for the transfer of former ambassador to the US Asad Majid – main character of the “threat letter” – had been made four months ago.

Speaking to media outside Supreme Court, Umar, who was flanked by other party leaders, referred to PML-N vice president’s press conference where she said the diplomatic cable was “fake” and that Majid was transferred to Belgium overnight.

He further quoted PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s statement that no opposition member was invited to the Parliamentary Committee of National Security (PCNS) meeting.

“The announcement for the transfer of ambassador to the US was made four months ago,” he said.

Umar recalled that PTI leader Dr Babar Awan had presented a resolution in the National Assembly session to call the PCNS meeting in the assembly’s hall.  “Voting was held on this resolution which was rejected by the opposition.”

He reminded that leaders of all major political parties including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Azam Swati, Sherry Rehman, Maulana Asad Mehmood and Khalid Magsi were invited to attend the PCNS meeting for which a circular also existed.

He said the PCNS decided to table the issue in parliament and rejected the impression that no opposition leader other than Shehbaz was invited to the parliamentary committee’s meeting.

Umar said PM Imran took a “wise” decision after the no-confidence was rejected and decided to “go back to the people”.

Speaking on the occasion, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the opposition had refused to attend the PCNS meeting.

Read PTI presser boycotted after Fawad, journalists verbal spar

He said the same people were raising questions on the “threat letter” when they did not even attend the meeting despite being invited. “This is a serious issue that cannot be ignored.”

Qureshi said PTI was not running away from the vote of no-confidence, rather there was a “plan” behind it, the facts of which the nation wanted to know.

He expressed disappointment at Maryam’s remarks pertaining to the authenticity of the “threat letter”, saying ambiguity was being created unnecessarily.

Acknowledging the opposition’s right to bring the no-confidence motion, Qureshi said the speaker considered the evidence of foreign conspiracy when it was presented before him.

PTI leader Faisal Javed said that the “eyes of the entire nation were fixed on the Supreme Court”.

“This [NA deputy speaker’s ruling case] is the case of Pakistan’s self-respect and independent foreign policy,” he said.

Referring to the tenures of PPP and PML-N, Javed said Pakistanis had been “mentally incarcerated” from 2008 to 2018. “Imran Khan is making the nation stand on its feet”.

He censured the PML-N for censuring the first lady, saying she was a housewife and had nothing to do with the politics.

On Tuesday, Maryam had said that Majid was transferred to Belgium just a day before Imran came up with the “conspiracy drama to gain public sympathy”.

“The so-called ‘threat letter’ was drafted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Asad Majid was abruptly transferred to Brussels a day before Imran Khan waved the letter at a public meeting. Why is this letter not presented before the Supreme Court and the nation? In fact there is no such [threat] letter,” she said.