PTI's five questions for Malik Riaz

Party Information Secretary says answers to question necessary to establish veracity of claims made by Malik Riaz.

ISLAMABAD: As a storm gathers around the leaked video of off-air footage of a television talk show with real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf put forward five questions for the tycoon embroiled in a financial misappropriations to influence court cases.

Questioning the credibility of Malik Riaz’s claims, Information Secretary Shafqat Mahmood said: “It’s time that Malik Riaz should also answer some questions.”

Mahmood asked whether Riaz had met with President Asif Ali Zardari in the ‘darkness’ of the night before his press conference on June 12?

The PTI information secretary pressed whether Riaz had received instructions from President Zardari on what to say in the conference?

Why the tycoon, who claimed to have given money to politicians, judiciary, journalists, military officials and bureaucrats, disclose the names of the benefactors?

Mahmood further asked whose interests was Riaz pushing in this self admitted 2009 meetings with the Chief Justice of Pakistan in the midst of restoration of judiciary movement?

And why had the businessman, who claims to have been blackmailed, wait three years before disclosing details of the money allegedly spent on Dr Arsalan Iftikhar?

There can be no credibility of any of the claims made by Riaz till the questions are answered, Mahmood said. “We wait to hear your response.”