- Maryam avoids comment on a propaganda campaign; PTI leader sees ‘calculated efforts’ to influence judiciary; Minister sees opposition behind drive to create hysteria
The long overdue verdict on Panama case – still pending with the five-member Supreme Court bench – has triggered covert political campaigns on various social media applications which are ripe with rumours about the nature of the upcoming judgment.
The viral messages on mobile applications and other chat groups on different social media networks suggested a sustainable campaign being made covertly. However, no political party is ready to accept responsibility of the drive.
When contacted State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb, she would prefer not to comment over the issue as the matter was still sub-judice. “I believe it is better not to comment on the propaganda campaign which is aimed at building a new narrative,” she said. No other PML-N leader was ready to offer comment over the issue.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary information Naeemul Haq said that the pattern suggests there was a calculated effort behind the campaign perhaps to influence the judiciary. But he also believes that such efforts would fall flat as the judges were highly professional, experienced and people of impeccable integrity.
“I believe such efforts are a part of a campaign. However, these efforts would fail miserably,” he told Pakistan Today. Asked whether his party believed the verdict would be coming soon, he said that the verdict was likely to be announced this week. He said that his party was expecting a decision which would set the future course for the country.
However, a minister of the ruling party told this scribe in an off-the-record discussion that the government believed that this campaign was being run by opposition political parties who wanted to create hysteria over the issue even before the verdict is announced. “We believe that the people who are hopeless and have nothing to do about are involved in this campaign,” he said.
Perhaps, “they want their party workers to remain upbeat and be emotional too. So even if the verdict is not up to their expectations, they would play victimhood,” the minister said. The campaign itself over the Panama verdict is diversified and carries material aimed at building various scenarios following the judgment.
Confidential
“Urgent breaking news: Panama case judgment tomorrow 12 noon. Split decision, three judges indict MNS, only daughter and son. PM has decided to resign and call for general elections on August 1, 2017. Interim govts to be announced day after. Najam Sethi to be chief minister of Punjab, Zubair’s brother a banker to be Sindh CM. Sabir Shah to be KP CM, Dr Malik for Balochistan,” says a recent message viral on Whatsapp groups.
Another message which was viral last week suggested another scenario building in the background. “Forwarded as received: Eleventh hour leaked excerpts from the panama case judgment reveal the outcome as removal of the prime minister from the office,” it said. “Last minute excerpts obtained by Wikileaks investigative journalism department reveal that the PM of Pakistan is going to be ordered to be removed by the panel of judges who have heard the arguments over the London property case of the Sharif family.”
It also said that “even though an entire judgment in detail is awaited by the nation of Pakistan, leaked excerpts have revealed that the Supreme Court bench has taken an extremely rigid stance and has ordered immediate removal of the PM of Pakistan.” According to another text, “one of the judge, it is leant that stopped short of disqualifying the prime minister for 20 years but wrote in his detailed summary that removal of the prime minister with immediate effect is suffice to address the menace of corruption in Pakistan.”
Another message previously suggested, “under a deal the prime minister would again be admitted to hospital and then would leave for treatment abroad. Later, the House would choose a new PM who would dissolve the assemblies and would call new elections. All parties would welcome the decision and prepare for polls. Later, the court would announce its judgment which would direct state institutions to reinvestigate the Panama case which would then would never happen like Memogate case. It would be a win-win scenario for both sides as PM would evade disqualification and the PTI would get elections as per its demand.”
