Matrix Report
Maryam Nawaz – daughter of former PM Nawaz Sharif and a prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz – sent both the mainstream and social media into frenzy when, during her presser yesterday, she alleged that accountability Judge Arshad Malik was “blackmailed” into deciding against her father.
Maryam, in what she claimed to be evidence exonerating her father, played a video of Judge Malik secretly recorded by a “Nawaz-fan” Nasir Butt. In the said video, the Judge allegedly admits to giving a wrong verdict against Nawaz Sharif because he was “blackmailed”.
However, in his response on Sunday, Judge Malik has said:
I am a resident of Rawalpindi where before becoming a judge, I worked as a lawyer. The individual shown in the video, Nasir Butt, is also from the same city and is an old acquaintance. Nasir Butt and his brother Abdullah Butt have met me many times at numerous instances. The video shown in Maryam Safdar sahiba’s press conference is not only contrary to the facts but it is also a despicable attempt to mesh together various instances and topics spoken about, and to present them out of context. Had I announced the verdict under pressure or over greed of bribes, I would not have acquitted him in one case and convicted him in the other.
In response to Maryam’s presser, the PTI Government instantly revealed that Nasir Butt, the central character in the video, was indeed a criminal who was accused of murder(s) in Pakistan and had absconded from the law to London.
“Nasir Butt, whom she has declared is the source […] people should know this person’s credibility…This Nasir Butt was a famous murderer, absconder, the leader of a gang of thugs and an important member of a drug ring who after committing five murders runs away to London and for 20 years remained an absconder”.
On the other hand, PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) has also sent notices to all media channels for airing unedited presser of Maryam Nawaz.
Soon after, Maryam’s presser became a topic of discussion both the on the social and mainstream media, with people having mixed opinions on the issue:
