Connect with us

Politics

Fact-check: NAB prosecutor was appointed during PTI’s term, not PM Shehbaz’s

Published

on

Rival politician has accused PM Shehbaz of appointing state prosecutor in case of graft against his own niece, Maryam.


A rival politician has accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of appointing the state prosecutor in a case of graft against his own niece, Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The claim is false.
Claim
On September 20, Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, a senior leader of the PTI and the former minister for information, tweeted that as the Islamabad High Court was hearing a corruption case against politician Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the prosecutor assigned by the prime minister was confused regarding which side he was presenting, the NAB or the accused.

The prosecutor in question is Barrister Usman Rasheed Cheema.

The tweet has been retweeted over 10,000 times and liked over 26,000 times.

Fact

Barrister Usman Rasheed Cheema was appointed as a prosecutor of the anti-corruption body in 2020, during the tenure of Chaudhry’s own political party, the PTI.

Initially, the lawyer represented the NAB in a case of money laundering against Shehbaz Sharif and his family.

Then in July 2021, Cheema was appointed lead counsel and the head of a five-member prosecution team by NAB to counter an appeal filed by Maryam Sharif against her conviction in the Avenfield apartments case, as per a notification seen by Geo Fact Check.

Cheema has been retained as counsel in the case. Neither has he been de-notified nor reappointed since 2020.

Fawad Chaudhry’s claim that Shehbaz assigned Barrister Cheema is incorrect.

Latest News

The PPP and PML-N will confer on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab today.

Published

on

By

The coordination committees of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are scheduled to convene today at the Governor’s House in Lahore to deliberate on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab.

The PPP delegation would comprise Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hassan Murtaza, and Ali Haider Gilani.

Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Rana Sanaullah, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, and Maryam Aurangzeb will represent the PML-N.

The conference will discuss local issues in Punjab and offer a forum for the PPP to express its concerns over its collaboration with PML-N in the province.

Both parties seek to fortify their partnership and optimize governance techniques in Punjab.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Sheikh Rasheed says PTI and government negotiations won’t provide any results.

Published

on

By

Sheikh Rasheed voiced his worries about the nation’s ongoing political dilemma while speaking outside the Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Sheikh Rasheed, a committee was established to negotiate, but the process has not produced any tangible results. In order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, he said, “Political conditions are extremely bad.”

He made the joke, “Even after war, if negotiations fail, then it will all come down to judo karate,” in reference to the next steps.

“Everyone there prays for Pakistan’s betterment,” Sheikh Rasheed, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, said. He emphasized the necessity for the nation’s circumstances to improve and stabilize.

Assad Qaiser, a former speaker and PTI leader, had earlier called on Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the National Assembly to discuss the official start of talks with the government.

The two leaders shared their opinions on bringing parties together on matters of national importance and reducing political tensions and conflict.

“I will persuade my people, you persuade the hardliners in your party,” Ayaz Sadiq said to Assad Qaiser.

The party’s founder is in jail, and the PTI leadership has asked to meet with him. “We will continue to confer with him,” Assad Qaiser declared.

Earlier, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai stated that if the discussions don’t begin, a campaign of civil disobedience will begin on December 14.

Speaking to the media Regarding the meetings, Yousafzai claimed that the government ministers were making insincere remarks.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

Published

on

By

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

Continue Reading

Trending