News Desk |
Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted on Saturday saying the Pakistani mafia uses different tricks to blackmail, threats and pressurize the judiciary and other institutions just like the ‘Sicilian mafia’.
In a post on Twitter, PM Khan said: “In a similar vein to the “Sicilian mafia”, the Pakistani mafia uses tactics of bribe, threat, blackmail and begging to pressurise state institutions and judiciary in order to protect their billions of money laundering stashed abroad.”
In a similar vein to the "Sicilian mafia", the Pakistani mafia uses tactics of bribe, threat, blackmail and begging to pressurise state institutions and judiciary in order to protect their billions of money laundering stashed abroad.https://t.co/DcXWNZntq3
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 13, 2019
The premier’s statement has come after the accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad Malik, who is currently embroiled in a video controversy, accused the members of Sharif family of offering him Rs100 million as bribe for favorable decisions in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment references of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Ousted premier Nawaz Sharif’s son, Hussain Nawaz, has rejected judge Malik’s claim, saying he did not bribe or threaten the judge.
“Nasir Janjua came to meet me and claimed that he had the cash equivalent of Rs100 million in Euros for me immediately available out of which the Euro equivalent of Rs20 million was laying in his car parked outside,” the judge stated in his statement.
Additionally, in his letter to the Islamabad High Court, Judge Malik has claimed that he was offered Rs500 million bribe by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz. Apart from the money, the judge said that he was offered settlement abroad along with family if he resigned on the grounds that he could no longer deal with the guilt of convicting Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference without evidence.
“I was told that Mian Sahib is willing to pay whatever I demand on acquitting him in both references. However, I declined the bribe offered to me while committing remains sticking to merits,” he said in his letter.
In the letter, the judge has admitted that two persons, Nasir Janjua and Mahar Jilani, have met him since he was appointed Accountability Court-II Judge Islamabad and demanding him to give the decision in favor of ex-PM Sharif in the NAB references.
Read more: Leaked video controversy: Will IHC take administrative action against Judge Arshad Malik?
Following a request by IHC to remove judge Malik, the federal government relieved him from his duties over his alleged involvement in the video scandal.
Hussain Nawaz Refutes Claims of Bribing Judge Malik
Meanwhile, ousted premier Nawaz Sharif’s son, Hussain Nawaz, has rejected judge Malik’s claim, saying he did not bribe or threaten the judge.
“I did not threaten or bribe any judge,” Hussain said while speaking to Geo News. “Since the case is in court now, I cannot talk about it,” he said.