Imran ordered me to register terrorism cases against PML-N leaders: Memon

Bashir Memon – the former director general of FIA – has opened a Pandora’s Box, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed him to register terrorism cases against the PML-N leader after a picture of his wife went viral on social media.

In an interview given to renowned journalist Matiullah Jan, he revealed that he was summoned to the highest office of Pakistan after an ordinary image of Bushra Maneka appeared on social media websites.

He was directed to take action and told that it had been done by the social media cell run by Maryam Nawaz [currently PML-N Vice-president], Memon added.

Matiullah asked him what Imran wanted to see which he wasn’t executing, he replied that they (FIA) would have earned the fame in cases in which the NAB was currently making the name despite the fact that Shehbaz Sharif’s name wasn’t even mentioned in the inquiry into the 56 companies.

On the other hand, Memon also disclosed that the issue of the treason case against Khawaja Asif was very strange given that there was no evidence but the cabinet approved the move. The probe was conducted but nothing could be found, he added.

But the biggest revelation out of this interview is perhaps about the Abraaj Group which owns K-Electric. The prime minister was angry over the inquiry against the group, he said.

After being removed from the post, the government had stopped payment of pension to Memon. However, the Islamabad High Court decided in his favour after he moved the court against the decision.

In December last year, Memon tendered his resignation from service - fearing an unceremonious dismissal - just days before he was due to retire. He made the decision just days after there was reported to be an expression of displeasure at the unlawful orders to the arrest of key opposition leaders on fabricated charges.

He was replaced by Wajid Zia – the person who headed the JIT formed to investigate the Panama Papers case against the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Soon after the interview went viral, the PML-N spokesperson, Marriyum Aurangzeb, on Tuesday called for registration of a case against Prime Minister Prime Imran Khan for misusing his authority and the state apparatus under Articles 62 and 63.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Marriyum made this demand after  Memon’s interview and also called for the immediate release of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz, saying the NAB-Niazi nexus had been fully exposed after the revelations made by Memon.

It wasn’t an ordinary interview as Memon showed how Imran was using the state apparatus to target the rivals, Marriyum stressed.

About sedition case, she said Badar Rashid, who got the FIR registered had been made a missing person, had been made a missing person. 

Moreover, Marriyum said the Pakistan Penal Code clearly stipulated that sedition and treason cases could not be registered without the federal or provincial government's approval, as she rejected that the claim that the PTI had nothing to do with the episode.