Islamabad, Sep.16 (ANI) : Close aides of former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf are too embarrassed and are shying away from responding to the former general’s claims that he had taken the November 3, 2007 actions only after consulting various top officials, including the then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the current Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani.
Musharraf’s erstwhile close associates find the topic as ‘too dirty’ to speak about and have been avoiding any queries regarding that by simply saying ‘no comments’.
A former spokesman of the Shaukat Aziz government, however, denied that the cabinet had prior knowledge of Musharraf’s plan of imposing the emergency.
When asked about the issue, Lieutenant General (retired) Ali Jan Orakzai said: “It’s such a dirty subject that leaving it untouched would be a better option.”
Orakzai said he is waiting for the apt time to speak on Musharraf’s claims.
“Let’s see the gravity of the subject. I would record my statement before the court in case summoned on this issue,” The News quoted Orakzai, as saying.
When informed about Shaukat Aziz’s statement that he was not consulted on the November 3 actions, Orakzai said issuing such statements from abroad is easier.
“Shaukat Aziz can do this as he is living in London. I can’t do so,” he said.
Former Punjab Governor Lieutenant General (retired) Khalid Maqbool said he has decided not to enter into any controversy related to the past events that occurred during his stint. (ANI)
Musharraf power theft scandal case: Low level workers punished
Islamabad, Sep 17 (ANI): The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) has only punished 64 junior officers for their involvement in the power theft scandal involving former President Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz and others in the luxurious Chak Shahzad farmhouses.
The big guns in the electricity department have not even been touched, according to well-placed sources.
The list of punished employees includes 35-meter readers, 14 line superintendents and 15 sub-divisional officers, The News reports.
Sources said these personnel were those who had to implement the orders of the higher-ups and no high-ranking official has been touched in the order passed by Iesco on 10-9-2009.
The official spokesman for Iesco, Ameer Hussain Chaman, when asked about the punishment, said he was not aware of any such punishments.
“I have not been conveyed any such details, therefore, I cannot offer any comment over the issue,” he added.
Sources said Colonel Umer Hayat was conducting the inquiry and on 9-9-2009 his tenure was completed and on 10-09-2009 these personnel were punished.
They say that in this power-theft scandal the higher-ups passed all the orders and the junior officers had no option, but to obey the orders.
It is worth mentioning here that Musharraf had constructed a modern house on the farm obtained for breeding poultry and vegetables, but the ex-general has been enjoying the cheapest power tariff, D-2(1) connection, which is meant for agriculture tube wells and lift irrigation pumps. (ANI)