Malik Riaz rubbishes fake audio attributed to him

Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz on Sunday said that an audio clip attributed to him on social media was fake, stressing that it was not surprising to create a fake audio in the presence of deep-fake technology.

“The audio attributed to me on the social media is the product of this [deep-fake] technology,” Riaz said in a statement. “I do not want to be involved in the campaign of any political party but it is a fact that my voice was misused for political gain,” he added.

“I have been attacked repeatedly, now my family is also targeted. I intend to initiate legal proceedings in this matter and I will approach every legal forum to track down the people behind this conspiracy,” he said.

Riaz’s statement came after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders played an audio tape — purportedly a conversation between the Bahria Town chief and his daughter – revealing how Farah Gogi 'demanded a gift' for former first lady Bushra Bibi.

During the conversation, the woman in the audio clip was saying to her father that Farah allegedly demanded a precious diamond as a gift for the ex-first lady in return for "removing locks" on a project site and withdrawing a report against her father.

Riaz said that the audio clip was fake and that he would approach every legal forum to track down the people behind this conspiracy. “Whoever is involved in this will be taken to task,” he added.

Addressing a news conference, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar alongside his party colleague Uzma Bukhari claimed that the troika of former premier Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and her friend Farhat Shahzadi alias Farah Gogi made "billions" during the tenure of the PTI government.

“It started in 2019, when Imran Khan gave a relief worth Rs320 million to Ahsan Jamil Gujjar – Farah’s husband – under an amnesty scheme," Tarar said.

He added that the former PM gave the relief due to his personal relations and friendship between Bushra and Farah.

Tarar alleged that Imran and his family continued to remain in corrupt practices throughout the PTI's tenure.

"Commission and kickbacks were given while new records of corruption were made during the PTI's tenure."

He said that Farah used Bushra’s influence for appointments and transfers in Punjab. He added that Farah and her husband now owned assets worth Rs10 billion.

"The assets that were in millions are now in billions. They should tell the poor Pakistani people [how they did it] so that they could also use their [the couple’s] knowledge to come out of poverty.”