Minister says house stands with Raja Pervez Ashraf
Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday defended former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. adding that any inappropriate campaign against the PPP leader would be dealt with at the government level.
"Reactions over the past two days from the public. lawmakers have already demonstrated that the allegations against the respected member are frivolous and baseless and are not taken seriously by the public," he said while addressing the National Assembly.
Tarar was referring to a social media clip from May 18 in which Anmol alias Pinky. a woman under investigation for drug smuggling, allegedly mentioned the former PM's name during a court appearance. His lawyer later claimed that the suspect was allegedly pressured to implicate Ashraf.
Tarar said as a legal practitioner he knew. "petty criminals" often use the names of prominent personalities to divert attention from their own cases.
The minister urged electronic media outlets to exercise caution while reporting sensitive matters, emphasizing that decency, morality,. the fundamental rights of individuals must be respected.
The minister assured the house that the matter would be thoroughly investigated, including examining why the statement in question was issued. whether it was based on facts.
Earlier, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf urged the government. parliament to formulate an effective mechanism to curb fake news and character assassination on social media, saying unverified allegations could seriously damage the dignity and reputation of innocent people.
Referring to the allegation, he said the woman's lawyer clarified that she had been pressured to mention his name, but by then the initial clip had already gone viral, with individuals. vloggers widely commenting on it.
Ashraf said he has had an honourable political career, serving as prime minister. NA speaker, and being elected as an MP four times.
He added that his purpose in raising the issue was not personal defence but to highlight the growing misuse of fake news. social media to malign individuals and divert attention from actual investigations.
The case of alleged drug dealer also came under discussion during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, where Ashraf appeared in person. clarified his position.
During the meeting, chaired by MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ashraf said he was pleased that members. officials spoke openly on this matter. "I am grateful to my opponents as well, who acknowledged that I have no connection to this case," he said.
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