LAHORE: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has issued a defamation notice of Rs5 billion to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry and demanded an unconditional apology from the leader of the opposition party over his remarks against the minister regarding Paragon Housing Society.
During a news conference on February 22, Fawad said the whole country knew Paragon Housing Society belonged to Saad Rafique. The PTI leader also called the railways minister a part of the land mafia, saying he had deprived the common people of their property.
In a tweet posted Sunday, Saad Rafique stated that Fawad should prove the “false allegations he had levelled or publicly apologise”. The minister further said that he would initiate legal proceeding against the PTI leader if he fails to do as stated.
تحریک انصاف کے رہنما چودھری فواد حسین کو بائیس فروری کی میڈیا ٹاک میں جھوٹے الزامات لگانے پر پانچ ارب روپے ہرجانے کا لیگل نوٹس بھجوا دیا ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/G8cTk6kReV
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) February 25, 2018
The railways minister has also stated in the notice that the Constitution allowed every person to protect their sanctity and that no one should level baseless allegations against anyone.
فواد چوہدری اس ہرزہ سرائی پر قوم کے سامنے غیر مشروط معافی مانگے۔اگر چودہ دن میں معافی نہ مانگی گئی تو ہم قانونی چارہ جوئی کا حق محفوظ رکھتے ہیں۔
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) February 25, 2018
فواد چودھری ! اپنے الزامات ثابت کرو یا معافی مانگو۔ یا عدالت میں ھتک عزت کے دعویٰ کا سامناکرو۔
آئینِ پاکستان ہر شخص کو اپنی عزت اور ساکھ کی حفاظت کی ضمانت دیتا ہے کسی شخص کو حق نہیں کہ قانونی وجہ کے بغیر کسی کے بارے ہتک آمیز بیانات دے۔— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) February 25, 2018
Last year, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asked for complete details of Paragon Housing Scheme for an investigation into the illegal housing schemes issue.
Paragon scheme is owned by Saad Rafique. NAB had decided to initiate a probe into the matters of the minister’s housing society after receiving a number of complaints regarding ‘illegal deal’ involving 3,000 Kanal government land between the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) and the company overlooking the affairs of Paragon Housing Society