PTI info secy says Nadia Ramzan is daughter of Imran Khan’s friend and raises funds for charity projects
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has denied seeking the Ahmadiyya community’s support in the upcoming general elections after a video clip surfaced in the social media of a meeting between a party delegation and the Ahmadiyya spiritual chief in London recently.
According to the video, the support of the persecuted Ahmadiyya community was sought through a PTI delegation led by one Nadia Ramzan Chaudhry who met Mirza Masroor Ahmed, spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya community.
In the video clip, Nadia Ramzan introduced herself as a London-based office-bearer of the PTI working in the Party’s Secretariat. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the upcoming general elections in Pakistan.
“We had voted for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but in return he declared us non-Muslim, Allah Almighty bestow you with success…we will think on the matter if PTI will do justice after coming into parliament,” responded Mirza Masroor when Nadia Ramzan asked for his support for PTI in the general elections.
Nadia enquired from Mirza what would be the outcome of the general elections, as the Ahmadiyya community believed in justice and equality and the PTI also believed in the same principle, the community would support which party and what would be Mirza’s directives to his followers?
Mirza said as far as casting vote was concerned, the Ahmadiyya community would vote for the party that was sincere with the country and believed in equality.
He said, “The community has been declared as non-Muslims in Pakistan, we have a separate voters list which discourages the community from tendering votes.”
During the meeting, Mirza said when Imran Khan was building his political party, he had sought the Ahmadiyya community’s support through one of his emissaries during Mirza’s visit to Pakistan. He said that no one talked about withdrawing the law declaring Ahmadis non-Muslims for fear of ‘Maulvis’.
At one instance, Nadia said the PTI’s manifesto ensured liberty to all religions and sects, to which Mirza enquired which party’s manifesto declared discrimination among Pakistani citizens?
“We will definitely vote for the PTI next time when the party does justice with us after coming into power,” Mirza added.
PTI DENIES ASKING FOR SUPPORT:
Commenting on the meeting, PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari said the individual in the video does not represent the PTI “politically”.
“Imran Khan has categorically denied having passed on any such instructions to anyone on the party’s behalf,” she said. “Nadia Ramzan is the daughter of Imran Khan’s friend. Our secretariats both in the US and UK have elected office-bearers and a young man, Shahbaz heads the PTI Secretariat in the UK,” she said.
However, she said that Imran Khan has a personal secretariat in London which collects funds for charity projects such as cancer hospitals and universities and “Nadia is a part of that secretariat which includes Khan’s close friends”.