Government embarks on propaganda campaign at taxpayers’ expense

‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Thursday

KARACHI: Instead of responding to the allegations in the Panama Leaks, the government has embarked on a propaganda campaign in its defence at the taxpayers’ expense. The government is complicating the matter instead of resolving it, said Shahzeb Khanzada on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Thursday.

Shahzeb Khanzada said that the Panama Leaks have leveled allegations against the Sharif family, but the Sharif family is silent over the whole matter, which is incomprehensible. Why doesn’t the prime minister disclose details of his and his family’s assets before parliament?

Shahzeb Khanzada said the government is spending public money worth hundreds of thousands of rupees on its propaganda campaign in defence of the Sharif family.  The government is running advertisements against the opponents of the government.

Shahzeb Khanzada said that the prime minister has twice addressed the nation but he failed to counter the charges against him. Why is the Sharif family not defusing the whole situation by responding to all the allegations against them?

Shahzeb Khanzada said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his cabinet are criticizing the opposition, and they are exploring all the options in a bid to strengthen their position, but they are not prepared to follow the example of the British prime minister who not only made public his and his family’s assets but even gave a clarification regarding the step brothers and sisters of his wife. 

Shahzeb Khanzada said that David Cameron took the British Parliament into confidence and submitted his tax returns of the past six years before it. However, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is not doing any such thing concerning his children.

The Sharif family is not facing the problem head on, but instead they are publishing very expensive advertisements in their favour in major newspapers at the taxpayer’s expense. Shahzeb Khanzada said that advertisements worth millions of rupees appeared in the country's major newspapers today for government’s propaganda purposes, and of course the national exchequer paid the bill for all these advertisements.

Shahzeb Khanzada said the prime minister misused the taxpayers’ money to defend his family. The taxpayer may belong to any party, but the government is employing the funds for its particular objectives.

Shahzeb Khanzada said that when the Tehreek-e-Insaf became active in the wake of the Panama Leaks, the government too scrambled to its feet with all its resources to counter the Opposition. Before the 24 April rally of the Tehreek-e-Insaf, the government flooded the channels with advertisements worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.

One should consider here that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has no dearth of resources. He has the platform of PTV. He has the forum of the National Assembly. No media channel will refuse him time, and no newspaper will ignore his statements, and yet the prime minister is employing all these resources for propaganda purposes instead of using them in countering the allegations that have been leveled against his family.

Commenting on the alleged irregularities in the DHA, Shahzeb Khanzada said that irregularities have been unearthed in the DHA in Karachi.  He said that 225 residential plots have been converted into commercial ones in a matter of just a few days. A plot that was purchased for Rs20 million was sold for Rs220 million, causing the DHA a loss of Rs45 billion. 

The Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar, has taken notice of the matter of airing of Khalid Shamim’s video statement while the MQM has raised questions of its own on this matter. An important suspect in the Imran Farooq murder case, Khalid Shamim, aid in his video statement that his wife has been robbed of $15,000 and two cars.

Bina Khalid, wife of Khalid Shamim, has said that 6 January 2011 was the worst day of her life when her husband, Khalid Shamim, was picked up. Khalid Shamim was whisked away in Malir Halt by some people in two cars bearing green number plates. She said that when she went to the police station to lodge an FIR of Khalid Shamim’s kidnapping, she was not allowed into the police station.

Bina Khalid said that Barrister Farogh Nasim had filed her petition in the court on 11 January 2011. She said Khalid Shamim has never had any affiliation with Muttahida. She said that she and her husband have been sympathizers and voters of Muttahida.

Bina Khalid said that a close friend of her husband’s had taken a car from her, and that dollars were snatched from her at her doorstep. She said she knows the people who had snatched the dollars from her. She said that when she lodged a complaint with Hammad Siddiqi on the advice of the Malir sector, she was dealt with harshly. She said that Dr Saghir Ahmed also used to be there. She said that today’s Kamal and company knew about all her problems.

Bina Khalid said that when the news about Imran Farooq’s murder emerged, Khalid Shamim was asleep at home. She said that the police have acknowledged that Khalid’s travels related to business. She said she had been unaware of Khalid’s overseas visits. She said she never saw Khalid with luggage and till today she had not seen Khalid’s passport.

Bina Khalid said Khalid had never been to Colombo or Britain. She said, “Khalid said to me to contact Mustafa Kamal in Dubai and to appeal to Malik Riaz. I couldn’t have thought then that Mustafa Kamal would come to Karachi and form a party.”

Bina Khalid said that Khalid had told her in jail that three or four videos of his had been recorded. She said that Khalid told her that the videos pertained to the time when he was at the FIA Centre. “Khalid used to say that he made a big mistake by not telling Justice Kausar Abbasi about it,” she said.

Bina Khalid said that when Khalid Shamim’s arrest was disclosed, an MQM MNA, Sajid Ahmed, visited her to congratulate her on Khalid’s being alive.