ISLAMABAD: The son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday claimed that the Faizabad sit-in could have been concluded swiftly had he been given an opportunity to hold talks with the protesters.

Retired Captain Mohammad Safdar also urged the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to track down those involved in spreading an audio clip alleging that he was involved in the distribution of Rs50 million among the participants of the sit-in by religious parties.

Speaking before a scheduled meeting of the Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, which could not be convened due to a lack of quorum, he said that PTA and FIA should unmask the characters involved in spreading the false audio clip.

But he was confronted by PPP MNA Shazia Marri, the lone committee member who was present on Monday, who said that Mr Safdar could not chair the meeting since there was an agenda item related to an allegation against him, as portrayed in the audio clip.

PPP MNA flays ex-PM’s son-in-law for trying to chair NA body meeting despite conflict of interest

However, the ex-PM’s son-in-law feigned ignorance of the ‘Safdar’ who was named in the audio clip, saying that “My name is retired Capt Mohammad Safdar, while the meeting was supposed to discuss the allegations against the eponymous ‘Safdar’ named in the clip. “I have nothing to do with that Safdar,” he claimed.

However, he was informed by the PPP MNA that in the meeting notice, the agenda item clearly mentioned: “Briefing/Discussion on alleged audio tape on social media [over] supply of Rs 50 million to dharna by retired Capt Mohammad Safdar, MNA.” Ms Marri contended that it was a conflict of interest that the MNA would be chairing a meeting that would be discussing his own case.

The PML-N leader, however, attributed the mistake to committee staffers, saying they should have mentioned only ‘Safdar’.

“I don’t know who that is,” he insisted, adding that he had rectified the agenda item and in the revised notification, there was no mention of the agenda item in question.

The revised version stated: “Briefing/Discussion on action taken by PTA, FIA against blasphemous material on social media and to update the status of persons arrested in this regard by FIA.”

Mr Safdar also said that he would not chair the next meeting, when the issue of this ‘Safdar’ will be taken up. However, the PPP MNA advised him to contact the National Assembly speaker and seek his guidance on how to deal this issue.

Ms Marri has already written to the National Assembly speaker, registering her protest against the conflict of interest clearly seen in the agenda of the standing committee.

“The agenda consists of five items and item 3 says, ‘Briefing/Discussion on alleged audio tape on social media supply of Rs. 50 million to dharna by retired Capt Mohammad Safdar, MNA’.”

“I was compelled to write to you [NA speaker] when I received a call from the National Assembly Secretariat confirming my attendance for the said meeting and upon inquiring, I was informed that retired Capt Safdar would be chairing the meeting,” she said in the letter and questioned how an MNA can chair a meeting when an agenda item is clearly related to an allegation against him?

Later, speaking to reporters outside the committee room, Mr Safdar said that the JIT head had no right to write an annual confidential report (ACR) for an elected MNA. “It was not the mandate of Wajid Zia to declare someone a fraud or a looter,” he said.

Separately, speaking to the media after his appearance before an accountability court in Islamabad in connection with the Avenfield reference, filed against members of the Sharif family, he launched several attacks on PTI chief Imran Khan. When asked who the third umpire was that Imran Khan kept referring to, Capt Safdar said that the third umpire had “retired”.

He also lashed out at JIT members, saying that “while they may look like diamonds, they are actually worthless on the inside”.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2017