Fawad Chaudhry: Khawaja Asif lied on the assembly floor

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif lied on the floor of the assembly, said Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, adding that it is quite unfortunate that the PML-N did that.

“He [Asif] claimed that the law officer told him that Nawaz Sharif could die and it won’t make any difference,” Chaudhry remarked while speaking to the media outside Parliament on Thursday.

“The law officer accepted in court that Nawaz should be sent abroad if his health is at risk,” he said. “This is a part of the court records. Will they [the PML-N leaders] lie about this too?”

Chaudhry announced that he will file a privilege motion against Asif.

During the National Assembly session on Thursday, Asif asked for politicians to bring civility back into politics. He then cited a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan where he reportedly asked someone to “make sure Nawaz Sharif’s reports aren’t being falsified and fake samples aren’t being used” as well as a phone call between a court officer and officer of the law ministry. During the phone call, the court officer reportedly asked the law ministry officer what the government’s position was on Nawaz Sharif’s case, to which the latter replied that he could die for all the difference it made to them.

‘Nawaz was safer in NAB custody’

Chaudhry went on to say that Nawaz was safer in NAB custody than he is at his house in Lahore’s Jati Umra. “We are worried about his health now.”

The PML-N leaders are all trying to fill the power vacuum and none of them care about Nawaz’s health now. They kept saying that they will approach the court for the removal of former PM’s name from the Exit Control List but no one seems to be doing anything. “This shows that they are not serious about sending Nawaz abroad,” he added.

I want a parliamentary committee to be formed which should monitor Nawaz’s health on a daily basis, it will even comprise members of all parties to ensure transparency, the federal minister said.

The government has allowed Nawaz to travel abroad on humanitarian grounds and it is a balanced decision asking them to pay indemnity bonds, said Chaudhry. “The court has imposed a fine on you and you should at least submit a surety bond.”

Shehbaz Sharif, however, isn’t willing to pay. “I mean it seems like they have kept a donation box for Nawaz. Many MNAs and party leaders have offered to pay the money for their party supremo.”

Nawaz’s role has ended in politics, now people are using him to pursue their own personal agenda, he said, adding that this includes Shehbaz, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz. They are all fighting for power now and using Nawaz to pursue their own political agenda, he said. “This is inhumane,” Chaudhry claimed.

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Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/politics/2019/11/fawad-chaudhry-khawaja-asif-lied-on-the-assembly-floor/