Fake news targets CJP Saqib Nisar’s UK visit

LONDON: The Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Saqib Nisar has been targeted through fake news originating from social media, leveling a number of baseless allegations, smears and innuendos.

Since the arrival of the chief justice in Britain to raise funds for dams’ construction, lots of fake news posts have been circulated through social media forums – Whatsapp groups, Twitter and Facebook – alleging that the chief justice and his wife have been staying at the Dorchester Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in London.

The fact of the matter is that the chief justice has been staying with only four members of his family at the Marriott Hotel on Park Lane for which the payment has been made by the chief justice himself.

This correspondent met the chief justice at the Marriot Hotel as soon as he arrived on Monday from Pakistan – even before he had even checked into his room. Since then he has been living at this address along with his wife. He is being assisted by Qazi Sajid Mehmood who worked in the Manchester Consulate till recently and have deep contacts among the Pakistani community living in major towns of the UK.

A source in Pakistan High Commission said that arrangement for the visit have been made by Pakistan High Commission and it has nothing to do with any political party, as alleged in the posts circulating on social media and tweeted by some in the media.

The CJP has come to London to attend around 6 fund raising events for dams and will mostly be travelling to many venues for the purpose. His son Najam Saqib Nisar has been a student in London for a year to do his bar studies and he has his own rented residence. He will be graduating early next week and the chief justice will be attending his convocation and that’s the reason why some members of the family have come to London to attend the ceremony.

A source in Pakistan High Commission said that the chief justice has paid for the travel expenditures of his travel and that of his family members himself and fake news circulating on social media are baseless.

Since his arrival in London, the CJP has spent a hectic schedule holding meetings and making efforts to galvanise the British Pakistani community to collect funds for dams – for which he has received positive response from the diaspora community. An event held in his honour on Wednesday night was attended by a large number of lawyers, civil society members and leaders of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), PTI and PPP were in attendance.

This correspondent has witnessed that – unlike the news spread through social media – the chief justice has been using a car provided by Pakistan High Commission to attend events.

The hotel he’s staying at offers ordinary prices for room bookings in winter as most hotels around central London in this period of the year see drop in business as rush months are summer when international tourists flood London.