Lahore:
The leaders of the Pakistan Peoples (PPP) party vehemently rejected allegations of corruption against the governor of Punjab, Sardar Saleem Haider, and the central secretary of Punjab, Syed Hassan Murtaza.
The accusations, brought by a former media coordinator of Governor House in a viral video message, claim that the two leaders have accepted a bridge pot in exchange for naming the accuser to an advisory role.
A senior official of the close party of the governor, who knows the situation, rejected the allegations as “a story of rooster and bull”, contesting the accuser, Sardar Zulfiqar, to provide evidence.
The controversy broke out after a video has surface showing a handcuffed man identifying himself as Sardar Zulfiqar Ali, a former media coordinator of the Punjab governor.
In the video, Zulfiqar said he had paid 70 million rupees to ensure the advisory role, accusing the secretary general of the PPP, Hasan Murtaza, a man named Ajsam, and Governor Haider of participation in the alleged agreement.
However, despite the payment of the bridge pot, he alleged that he had then been removed from the post. He also said that he was facing a politically motivated matter and that he was taken to camp prison.
Zulfiqar also said that he had challenged the NA-263 Quetta elections on a PML-N ticket and had appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, the chief minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz and the judiciary to intervene.
He also allegedly alleged that a “Mian Salman”, who, according to him, acted as a leader for the military generals, had used the name of the chief of staff of the army to intimidate him and was the complainant of the case against him.
Make the facts
While Zulfiqar was indeed appointed media coordinator to the Governor of Punjab on December 24, 2024, his request for a dispute of elections on a PML-N ticket was misleading. The files confirm that he presented himself as an independent candidate of NA-263 Quetta in the general elections of 2024 and only obtained 103 votes.
According to a senior PPP, Zulfiqar was presented at the Governor’s house by common friends from Hasan Murtaza. He was appointed media coordinator in the hope of establishing better links with the business world. However, he was then denoted after allegations of financial misconduct was surfed against him.
“The dispute is between Salman and Zulfiqar – it has nothing to do with Governor Punjab or Hasan Murtaza,” said a party official, accusing Zulfiqar to give a “political color” to a personal financial dispute.
Answering questions about the history of Zulfiqar and why he was responsible for the role, the party initiate admitted: “This is where our leadership made an error. His history was never correctly verified before his appointment”.
Following the controversy, the governor officially announced that his office has no coordinators and assured that no other coordinator will be appointed in the future.
Several high -level figures of the PPP have expressed their frustration as to the question, arguing that the governor’s office should not be reduced to a “laughingstock”.
A senior party leader said: “It doesn’t matter whether a bridge pot was taken or not. What matters is the pure negligence to appoint a doubtful person”. Another member of the senior party said that this was not the first case of such allegations in PPP circles, adding that more cases of similar nature were discussed internally. He defended the governor, calling him “the honorable man”, but questioned certain people in his circle.
In the midst of growing murmurs within the party, the sources suggest that the question will probably be discussed during an Iftar dinner of April 24 organized in honor of the president of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in Governor House.
PPP chief Hasan Murtaza, speaking to L’Express PK Press Club, rubbed the statements of Sardar Zulfiqar by declaring that the FIR can be filed against Zulfiqar before becoming the coordinator who also for a brief passage, has something to do with him or the governor. He challenged Zulfiqar to present any reference reference to support his frivolous demand for corruption. He said that his allegations to give him seventy million to him and others were laughable. When asked that many party members guaranteed its integrity and the governors, they question the examination process carried out before selecting the said individual for this portfolio, he admitted that they had made an error by selecting Sardar Zulfiqar. He said he had been presented as notable of the merchant community through his knowledge.
