ISLAMABAD: PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on Saturday said he would approach the Supreme Court to draw attention towards a ‘fake’ case registered against him by the Islamabad police.

“The false and baseless FIR was registered at the behest of the government,” said Mr Khokhar, who is also a spokesman for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He was speaking at a press conference after obtaining bail from the district and sessions court.

Mr Khokhar, who is also the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, has been accused of causing ‘obstructions to justice’ during the arrest of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on June 10 in the fake accounts case.

The FIR was registered against Mr Khokhar the same day at the Margalla police station and sealed.

He alleged that the FIR against him was sealed in violation of the law. “I am a lawyer and know my rights. Under the law I should have been informed of the charges. Facts were concealed for four days. Despite orders from the magistrate to provide a copy of the FIR, the police declined to follow the direction,” he said.

The senator said he did not create obstacles to the law enforcement officers during the arrest of Mr Zardari.

He said the government could not justify blatant harassment of a sitting senator and chairperson of the human rights committee by registering a fake case against him and distorting facts in the FIR.

“As chairman of the Senate human rights committee, I will write to Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Syed Khosa, who has shown his disgust towards fake cases and false evidence. He has taken notice that innocent have suffered because of false evidence. I wish he will set an example by taking stern action against the Islamabad police and the persons behind the fake case registered against me,” he said.

“Top opposition leaders have been arrested in cases of clear political victimisation rather than accountability. Such intrigues cannot detract us from our struggle against the government and its anti-people budget,” Mr Khokhar said.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2019