ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday alleged that ‘Raiwind mafia’ and Pakistan’s former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani were behind TV presenter Reham Khan’s upcoming book.
“I demand Reham Khan to take back the contents of her book within 24 hours and apologise or we will take legal action,” Chaudhry warned while addressing media in Islamabad. Terming the book a part of ‘Raiwind scheme’, the PTI leader said the publication was supported by Husain Haqqani. “We know how the Raiwind mafia operates,” he asserted. “In 1990 too, Husain Haqqani had conducted a press conference with Mustafa Khar before Tehmina Durrani’s ‘My Feudal Lord’ was published,” Chaudhry said, adding that a recent picture of Reham and Haqqani is in front of everyone.
Further slamming the book which has stirred a controversy in the country even before it is released, Chaudhry said, “FIA’s cyber crime wing should investigate the emails Ahsan Iqbal sent to Reham. There are also reports of a meeting between Maryam Nawaz and Reham.”
Terming Reham’s upcoming book as part of pre-poll rigging, the PTI leader urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice of the book and ban it. He also asked the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to take up the issue as Reham has ‘attempted to damage the entire family system’. “Reham said that she penned the book while sitting with her young son and sister but the contents of the book are shocking and damaging of the entire family system of Pakistan,” the PTI leader said.
Chaudhry questioned how Reham had been living a ‘princess’s life’ while not earning any money. “What is her source of income,” he asked, adding that Reham is no longer employed. “She has been divorced for three years and has been snapped at five-star hotels and islands in Istanbul … where is she getting the money from,” he asked, and quoted Salman Ahmed as alleging that Reham received 100,000 pound sterling from Shehbaz Sharif.
Questioning the timing of release of the book, Chauhdry said Reham has been divorced for three years but she decided to publish the book two months before the upcoming election. He further stated that slanderous campaigns have also been initiated in the past against Imran. “In 1996, the Sita White scandal surfaced and now this one,” he added, while claiming that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s fake photos were also circulated in the past ahead of elections.
Stating that everyone associated with Imran becomes famous, Chaudhry said, “Even Imran’s dog Sheru is popular on the social media.”
The PTI leader also urged the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to take notice of the ‘gossip shows’ being aired on television. “Everyone is gossiping on TV and Reham and everyone else is enjoying it,” he said.
Chaudhry also advised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to kick off his election campaign for 2018 general election by apologising to the nation. “Nawaz should apologise to the nation for all the fake promises he made,” the PTI leader concluded.
Published in Daily Times, June 6th 2018.
