Another dharna plot character tenders apology

Ex-ECP official Afzal Khan had levelled rigging charges against respectable personalities a

ISLAMABAD: Afzal Khan, a retired ECP official and a mysterious character of the 2014 D-Chowk dharna conspiracy, has made a written and unconditional apology in a court of law for all the allegations he levelled about rigging during the 2013 general elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) member Justice (retd) Riaz Kiani, who had moved a case against him for levelling all these allegations, has also generously forgiven him for his mistakes.

During the 2014 D-Chowk sit-ins meant to topple a democratic dispensation and to install a puppet government headed by some technocrats, the PTI chief Imran Khan was levelling many allegations of rigging against different institutions, organisations, a media house and many individuals. He started from Geo News and accused Pakistan’s biggest news channel of rigging the 2013 general elections. As  proof, he said that Geo had announced the PML-N’s victory at 11:23pm on election-day while the counting was underway in many constituencies at that time. He later came to know that the results of a National Assembly constituency became almost finalised even before 10:00pm in the night. He had similar evidence for all his allegations. When the media started pressing Imran Khan to present some concrete proof of at least any of his allegations, suddenly an anchor, known for his links with the directors of the conspiracy, aired the interview of Afzal Khan, who levelled serious allegations of wrongdoings and involvement in alleged rigging against former chief justices Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Tassaddiq Hussain Jillani, Nadra and members of the ECP, especially Justice Riaz Kiani.

Afzal Khan used to sit besides the PTI chief and Imran Khan used to proudly present Afzal Khan ‘disclosures’ as evidence of his rigging charges. Basically, during the whole campaign in the name of rigging, the PTI chief could present two things as ‘evidence’; one was Afzal Khan’s statements and the other was thousands of affidavits presented by Aleem Khan before the Election Tribunal and then before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on vote transfer from the NA-122.The ECP has already declared all the affidavits as fake and Aleem Khan is almost ready to face criminal proceedings for presenting hundreds of fake affidavits. Imran Khan has yet to apologise for making false and baseless allegations against different persons and organisations. During this campaign, journalists were attacked, shot at, offices of media houses and homes of journalists were attacked by agents of those directing the show. Later, a high powered Judicial Commission, headed by the chief justice of Pakistan, also declared all the rigging allegations as baseless. However, the campaign is still under way.

Afzal Khan, an ECP officer, was denied a promotion some time before his retirement by ECP member Justice Riaz Kiani. After his retirement, Afzal tried to start moving against the ECP bosses for not giving him promotion but he failed. However, after some time during the days of D-Chowk sit-in conspiracy, Afzal Khan was presented in a sponsored talk show by those who were directing the whole show, and he levelled many baseless allegations against many respected personalities without presenting any evidence or proof. He didn’t even spare former Chief Justice Tassaddiq Hussain Jillani, who not only enjoyed a very good reputation but was also an honest and professional judge. He was known for his politeness and humbleness. He was attacked only because he refused to bow down before the illegal and unconstitutional desires and wishes of some forces.

Like all other players in that blame game which was launched against many respected Pakistanis in 2014 starting from honourable Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim, to the likes of top journalist Hamid Mir, now Afzal Khan has also sought an unconditional written apology when he was asked to prove the allegations he levelled in 2014. Azfal Khan sought a written apology on June 7 in the court of Nazir Ahmad Gajana, District and Sessions Judge, Lahore. After his apology and acceptance of apology by Justice Riaz Kiani, the court disposed off the case under Section 500 PPC.

In his allegations, Afzal Khan has said that the ROs were appointed by the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. However, the documented facts proved that all the ROs across the Pakistan were appointed following a demand of PTI chief Imran Khan. Earlier, different government officers used to be appointed as ROs but the PTI chief has demanded that only judicial officials be appointed as ROs. It was not possible as under the National Judicial Policy, the judicial officers were barred from accepting any non-judicial assignment. Because of this bar and a strict demand of a main opposition leader Imran Khan, the then Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim moved a petition in the Supreme Court to seek permission for appointment of district and sessions judges as ROs of respective constituencies. The petition was allowed. The district and sessions judges are appointed by high courts and not by the Supreme Court and high courts are not subordinate courts of Supreme Court. The Lahore sessions court, while disposing of the case, did not consider it important to punish Afzal Khan for his white lies against the most respected Pakistanis as explained above. All other allegations levelled by Afzal Khan were a laughing stock as was in the case of every such presentation. All other characters behind this conspiracy were either punished by their respective departments or have sought unconditional apologies to save their skins.