–ISPR chief says remarks ‘unfounded’, do not ‘serve democracy’
GUJRANWALA: Additional Sessions Judge Tariq Saleem Chohan on Friday summoned Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo on August 8 over his allegation against Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen. Faiz Hameed that his “people” were behind the opposition’s failure in a no-trust vote against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani the other day.
While accepting a petition filed by Advocate Manzoor Qadir Bhinder for hearing, Judge Chohan summoned a report on the matter from the city police officer (CPO).
According to the petitioner, Senator Bizenjo had made a “baseless and false” statement against the head of a state institution. The petitioner further claimed that the uttered remarks were an attempt to defame a ‘senior Pakistan Army officer’.
The petition requested the court to “direct the Gujranwala CPO to instruct the Civil Lines police station to register a case against Bizenjo”.
A day earlier, in a rude shock to the joint opposition on Thursday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and its allies successfully saved Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani from an ouster bid despite the opposition having a clear majority in the Upper House of Parliament.
The joint opposition had last month submitted a no-confidence resolution against Sanjrani and had named Bizenjo as its candidate for the position. On Thursday, the opposition suffered a shock defeat when it fell three votes short to dismiss the Senate chairman despite having a comfortable majority in the Upper House.
After the vote, as Bizenjo was walking out of the Senate building, a journalist asked if the senator knew the 14 turncoats who had voted against their party’s stated stance.
Bizenjo responded: “These are Gen Faiz’s people. You know Gen Faiz, the ISI chief? [They] were his people.”
Not beating around the bush. #HasilBizenjo pic.twitter.com/T9u3pu11nH
— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) August 1, 2019
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had early on Friday denounced the statement.
In a tweet posted on Maj Gen Ghafoor’s official Twitter account early on Friday, the ISPR chief said that Bizenjo’s remarks were “unfounded” and did not “serve democracy”.
Remarks by Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo implicating head of national premier institution are unfounded. The tendency to bring entire democratic process into disrepute for petty political gains doesn’t serve democracy.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 1, 2019
