ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has issued a show-cause notice to its MNA Riaz Fatyana for allegedly making “unreasonable” demands at the recently held climate conference in Glasgow (UK) and making “false” allegations against two members of the federal cabinet.

The notice was issued to the MNA from Toba Tek Singh by the PTI’s Standing Commi­ttee on Accountability and Disci­pline (SCAD) on the complaint of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam days after Mr Fatyana alleged that the former had a brawl with Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul while attending the conference in the UK.

Mr Fatyana made the allegations during a meeting of the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on November 25, which were widely covered by the mainstream and social media.

MNA blamed for making ‘unreasonable’ demands at Glasgow conference and ‘false’ accusations against two members of cabinet

He had alleged that both Mr Aslam and Ms Gul had gotten into a brawl that even compromised Pakistan’s position at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

The PTI MNA has been asked to submit a written statement on or before December 4 along with relevant documents and evidence. “You have to show cause as to why we should not proceed against you. The nature of this disciplinary proceeding shall be inquisitorial,” said the notice issued to Mr Fatyana by the SCAD.

The committee has offered Mr Fatyana that he can request the committee in his written response to be heard in person to elaborate on his written defence, while failing to respond by the given date, “the committee could proceed ex-parte”.

“Upon your return, as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, you have made some absurd and totally fabricated and false assertions in the meeting held on November 25, including that there was a brawl between two senior officials and Zartaj Gul which led to her leaving the conference early, whereas she had left early only to attend the joint session [of parliament],” reads the show-cause notice, a copy of which is available with Dawn, while quoting from the complaint filed by Mr Aslam.

“This false news was taken up by the media and caused irreparable damage to the personal reputation of the complainant, the party’s image as well as performance of Pakistan at the COP which got national as well as global acclaim,” said the notice.

In his complaint, Mr Malik alleged that Mr Fatyana had come to Glasgow to attend the conference on climate change funded by an NGO and visited the Pakistani pavilion a couple of times where he made some “unreasonable demands” such as becoming a part of the official delegation, which needed the prime minister’s approval.

Mr Aslam also alleged in this complaint to the SCAD that Mr Fatyana had demanded an official vehicle and phone SIMs for his use, “but these could, obviously, not be met as he was not part of official country delegation”.

On Saturday, Mr Aslam and Ms Gul had issued a joint statement denying any brawl or misunderstanding at COP-26 and termed the allegations made by Riaz Fatyana “baseless”.

“It is added that Riaz Fatyana was not a part of Pakistan’s official delegation and was representing a non-governmental organisation without any invitation of the Ministry of Climate Change,” said the statement.

Despite repeated attempts, Mr Fatyana could not be contacted for his comments.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2021