Former finance minister Shaukat Tarin has admitted to asking the ex-ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed to 'have his cases heard on merit', The News reported.
The PTI leader was reacting to a conversation recently attributed to him by columnist Javed Chaudhry.
'NAB had a Rs8bn case against Tarin. PM (Imran) asked us to get those cases dismissed and Gen Faiz got it done,' ex-COAS Bajwa said, according to the columnist.
"My case should have been disposed of on merit. Faiz never told me he would get my case dismissed, nor did I ever ask him for any favour."
Tarin added that he had told the premier he would not accept the job unless "my cases are dismissed".
The columnist had said in the same column that the former COAS saw the PTI leadership as a liability for Pakistan and thought that the country would cease to exist if Imran Khan continued to run its affairs.
“We had read [the situation] that these people are dangerous for the country. The country would cease to exist if he [Imran Khan] remains [as the prime minister].”
According to the journalist, the ex-military chief had made the remarks when asked about Imran’s ouster from power.
“We did not throw their government out of power; our only ‘crime’ was not saving it. Imran wanted us to proceed forth and save his government.”
"If heard, the cases would've been finished on merit. Everyone knew I was innocent," Tarin was quoted as saying during a TV show.
The PTI leader was reacting to a conversation recently attributed to him by columnist Javed Chaudhry.
"We tried to convince the prime minister (Imran Khan) against appointing Tarin as finance minister. I told the PM that Tarin, who failed to run his bank, will ruin the economy. The premier disagreed."
'NAB had a Rs8bn case against Tarin. PM (Imran) asked us to get those cases dismissed and Gen Faiz got it done,' ex-COAS Bajwa said, according to the columnist.
In response, the former minister said he could not believe Gen (retd) Bajwa could say such things about him.
"On March 31, 2022, General sahib declared me a hero when I finalised the Reko Diq deal," he recalled.
"My case should have been disposed of on merit. Faiz never told me he would get my case dismissed, nor did I ever ask him for any favour."
Tarin added that he had told the premier he would not accept the job unless "my cases are dismissed".
The columnist had said in the same column that the former COAS saw the PTI leadership as a liability for Pakistan and thought that the country would cease to exist if Imran Khan continued to run its affairs.
“We had read [the situation] that these people are dangerous for the country. The country would cease to exist if he [Imran Khan] remains [as the prime minister].”
According to the journalist, the ex-military chief had made the remarks when asked about Imran’s ouster from power.
“We did not throw their government out of power; our only ‘crime’ was not saving it. Imran wanted us to proceed forth and save his government.”