Highlights!
On a supposedly recorded phone call between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim’s wife, Rafia Tariq, and Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s mother-in-law, Mahjabeen Noon, they reportedly discussed their support for the chief justice of the Supreme Court and their desire for immediate elections.
The women allegedly expressed anger at Islamabad’s current government during the alleged call.
Mahjabeen and the wife of the PTI counsel express concern for the chief justice in the allegedly leaked call as a result of the ongoing election delay case being heard by a three-member bench at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In the midst of the conflict between the government and the supreme court, CJP Bandial’s mother-in-law is heard pledging her support to her son-in-law.
The CJP’s mother-in-law said during the call, “Weaken them and strengthen them.”
They also make hazy mention of attending a rally in Lahore that was attended by hundreds of thousands of people.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was ordered by the bench, which was chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Bandial and included Justices Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar, to hold the elections in Punjab on May 14.
Ata Tarar, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM), posted the audio clip on his Twitter account and claimed that after listening to it, he is certain of the existence of the deep conspiracy.
“For the benefit of families, the Constitution and the law have been violated. By holding early elections and participating in [political] rallies, the families of Chief Sahib and his two colleagues are attempting to install Imran Niazi as the new leader, Tarar tweeted.
He then went to inquire as to whether the interpretation of Article 63 A was now clear.
PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry responded to the alleged audio leak by saying that his party has repeatedly asked the Supreme Court to “look into the disastrous series of audio leaks” after phone calls from the PM Office and PM House were made public in the past.
Who else will be safe because the Prime Minister’s Office is so unsafe that the meeting is being recorded? On the microblogging website, he posted.
He continued by saying that the application has still not been submitted to the Supreme Court despite several months having passed.
“Now, judges, politicians, civil servants, and even housewives are victims of this third class thinking and no one can do anything,” he tweeted.
As stated in Fawad’s tweet, “such illegal phone tapping is punishable by up to three years in prison under the fair trial law.”
Call transcript
Mahjabeen: I’m Rafia, What will take place? I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have prayed for Umar [Ata Bandial] since the morning. I have been praying for him since last night.
By Rafia Tariq I’ve also told others and messaged Umar about it. I mentioned that you attended the Lahore rally. There were thousands and hundreds of thousands. Similar to this, every city is home to tens of thousands of people. You simply [try to] gauge how much the entire world is currently praying for you, which will [increase] your strength and safety.
[inaudible]
Rafia Tariq: His safety must be guaranteed.
Weaken them and strengthen them, says the Mahjabeen.
Rafia: May Allah blind the rest of them. What I’m saying is that. They are…traitorous to this nation. Take a look at how they are performing it.
Mahjabeen: That’s right. But now they question why he has the power to carry out the action.
Rafia: Not at all, but not at all.
Mahjabeen: By putting other things there right now, they are purposefully giving themselves an advantage.
Rafia: Nothing else exists.
Mahjabeen: And asking why suo motu was taken, too.
That’s his right, says Rafia.
Mahjabeen: It happened earlier; Umar hasn’t been given [suo motu].
Rafia: No, but every chief justice has the option. If the law needs to be changed, do so in your […vella] rather than at this time.
Mahjabeen: No, but they are currently unchangeable.
Not now, Rafia. Later, they can change it, but not right now. There is a law.
