Mehrangate: Senator Pervaiz Rasheed snubs PML-N's involvement in scam

Rasheed says people involved in scandal either worked for PPP or were given important portfolios by PPP-led govt.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s Senator Pervaiz A Rasheed while defending his party in the Mehrangate scandal on Monday snubbed allegations of Nawaz Sharif taking money from the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).

Speaking to the media outside the Senate in Islamabad, Rasheed said that the scam is a farce and termed it as a “chacha-bhateejay ka khel” (uncle-nephew game).

“People involved in the Mehrangate scandal had either worked for the Pakistan Peoples Party or were given important portfolios by the then [PPP-led] government.”

Citing a few examples, he named Safdar Abbas Zaidi, Ahsan Muneer and the then ISI chief, Assad Durrani. “Assad was nominated as an ambassador to Germany by the PPP, who now alleges PML-N of being involved in the scam.”

He said that the people who have been alleging PML-N involvement have failed to produce any tangible evidence in the Supreme Court. “Bank account details, receipts and related documents should be presented before the court.”

When asked if the PML-N will take up the case to the Supreme Court, he said that the matter was sub-judice and that his party will accept whatever decision the Supreme Court takes.

He said that a former president of Mehran Bank, Asif Jamshed, was given extension in his job tenure by the PPP and a notification in this regard was issued on February 4, 1997. “We were the ones who reversed the extension of the officials who were illegally designated on different jobs by the PPP.”

“A notification to end the extension of Asif Jamshed was issued on March 25, 1997, right after the PML-N came into power.”