PPP condemns “politically motivated” notices to PPP lawmakers

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has strongly condemned “politically motivated” FIA notices to PPP MNAs, MPAs, Ministers, workers and office bearers.

FIA has sent notices to 8 PPP MNAs and MPAs including two provincial ministers among them, Dr Nafisa Shah, Qadir Patel, Shahida Rehmani, Naz Baloch, Shehla Raza, Qadir Mandokhel, Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, besides others.

The notice sent under section 160 of CrPC is to personally appear before FIA because they received messages from a certain individual charged under section 10, 11, 20 PECA 2016 for delivering a contemptuous speech against the Chief Justice

It is apparent that this is witchhunting and using state machinery against PPP spokespersons and office bearers, said the PPP.

To receive a message from any source on WhatsApp doesn’t constitute an offence under PECA Act 2016 nor under PPC, nor does it establish an acquaintance with the accused, the PPP statement said.

As political persons, thousands of messages, complaints, even spam are received. If an act of simply receiving a message is criminalised, whole country would be in prison.

Although FIA knows that this text could have been sent to a number of people, how they could be presumed to have committed offence, it said.

The PPP cannot be cowed down in the garb of such notices. In addition Supreme Court has not said in its order that everyone who has received message should be issued notice.

The FIA is misusing its authority and misinterpreting the orders of Hon Supreme Court. We fear that like NAB, FIA is being used for political engineering by the PTI government as the former FIA chief has already testified publically.

“We also call upon the superior judiciary to take notice of harassment of parliamentarians and political workers by FIA by using superior judiciary as an excuse,” it said.