Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan has vehemently denied allegations made by PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair, former spokesperson for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.
During a press conference held on Monday, Malik Ahmad Khan refuted claims suggesting a meeting between former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and Nawaz Sharif in London, stating unequivocally that such an encounter did not occur.
Addressing the media, Khan asserted that Muhammad Zubair had no basis for his allegations, and suggested that legal action could be pursued against him for defamation. "General Bajwa and Nawaz Sharif did not meet in London," Khan emphasized, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations made by Zubair.
Khan said whatever Zubair said was baseless and that he rejected those remarks. “If the meeting between Nawaz Sharif and General Bajwa was limited to Muhammad Zubair, how can it remain classified,” he questioned.
He further said whatever Zubair said could confuse him later. “If the two did meet, there would have been a record with the immigration authorities,” he added.
He also said that the former army chief did not even speak to Nawaz Sharif, let alone meeting him. “Facts should be brought forth before forming a judicial commission on the matter,” he suggested.
Zubair chose such a place for something beyond his capacity to create a national level impact, Khan claimed, adding that action under the newly enacted defamation law could be taken against Muhammad Zubair.
Regarding speculation surrounding Zubair's potential affiliation with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he expressed scepticism, cautioning against joining political parties through deceptive means. He cited PTI leader Rauf Hasan as saying that maybe Zubair wanted to join the PTI, adding that the opposition party called law-abiding citizens animals,
"Zubair Umar should not join the PTI through lies," he remarked, stressing against political point-scoring over national security.
Moreover, the speaker addressed the dynamics within the political landscape, acknowledging differences of opinion between parties like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He underscored the role of constructive debate and disagreement in political discourse, asserting that unity between major parties is crucial to ending instability and achieving economic stability in Pakistan.
"PPP is a major political entity, and while there may be differing perspectives on certain issues, expressionism and disagreement are integral to democratic politics," Khan stated, highlighting the potential for collaboration between PML-N and PPP to mitigate national challenges.
