Wahab condemns Wikileaks, lashes out at Punjab CM

Wahab dubs Wikileaks confession a propaganda against President, attempt to create a rift among Muslim countries.

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) information secretary Fauzia Wahab said on Monday that the Wikileaks confession is propaganda against President Asif Ali Zardari and it is an attempt to create a rift among Muslim countries, especially “Saudi Arabia and Pakistan”.

Addressing a joint press conference with PPP MPA Farzana Baloch in the PPP Media Cell, she said that Pakistan has great relations with Saudi Arabia.

The report does not just have President Zardari’s name but also of other international personalities such as former president and current Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. However, the media just focuses on allegations levelled against Zardari, Wahab said.

She also presented the audio recording before the media in which former NAB chairman Saifur Rehman and Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif were repeatedly directing the then judge of Lahore High Court, Malik Qayyum,  to give “proper  attention” to the Chaudhary Sarwar case.

“Their conversation is a good example of misuse of power and contempt of court by these people, but despite a lapse of two weeks no action has been taken against them by the judiciary,” she maintained.

Wahab appealed to the judiciary to take suo motu action. She said that the audio tapes revealed that former NAB chairman and CM Punjab had manipulated the verdicts against Zardari as well as other leaders of the party, who were victimised on “political basis”.

“We seek clarification from Shahbaz Sharif and his colleagues, whose voices have also been confirmed in laboratory tests. They should come forward if are innocent,” she challenged.

“Listen to the tape carefully, he is urging the judge to award a seven-year sentence to the president instead of five years,” she said.

She said that these people should plead guilty in “false, politically motivated and engineered cases” against PPP and its leadership.

Wahab accused the CM Punjab of misusing his powers and authorities. She said he has bungled billion of rupees in different schemes.

Apart from this, Shahbaz Sharif is running the government with a Rs80 billion deficit because he is controlling 14 ministries.

The portfolio of the home ministry is with the chief minister himself, but the law and order situation in the province is still terrible.

Replying to a question, Wahab said that action would be taken against all those people who were involved in the attack on the PPP caravan on October 18, 2007 and those who were behind the murder of Benazir Bhutto.

When asked about the suspension of close aide and political secretary of Benazir, Naheed Khan’s party membership, she replied, “Code of conduct in the party was made by Benazir Bhutto herself.  As per policy, action is taken against those party leaders who violate its discipline.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2010.