‘Bajwa helped Imran get NRO for Bani Gala house,’ claims SAPM Malik Ahmed Khan

• Ex-CJP denies claim, terms it 'rubbish and completely baseless'.
• Key intelligence officer, not ex-COAS, saved Imran, source says.
• PTI demands Supreme Court take notice of allegation. 

ISLAMABAD:  Malik Ahmad Khan, Special Assistant to  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has claimed that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had influenced the-then chief justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, to favour Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Bani Gala house case.

Imran Khan was declared "Sadiq" (truthful) and "Ameen" (honest) in the same case.

Terming the claim rubbish and completely baseless, the former CJP however stated that the chief of the army staff (COAS) never influenced his decisions directly or indirectly.

Saqib said that the entire Bani Gala was built illegally, and the case was about regularising all the properties on the premises.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry also rejected the SAPM's claim, saying the COAS controlling the CJP was a serious allegation. He demanded that the Supreme Court registrar take notice of the claims.

On regularising Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence, he said the PTI chairman built his home in the area when there were no rules regulating such constructions. He explained that the apex court in the case had directed the CDA to make rules to regulate construction in the Banigala area.

A source close to the retired COAS said that Gen (retd) Bajwa never contacted Nisar or the judiciary in this case. However, he alleged that a key intelligence officer saved Imran Khan from disqualification.

In a recent TV talk show, Malik Ahmad Khan claimed that Gen (retd) Bajwa had given an NRO to Imran Khan. When asked about the nature of the alleged NRO, he said that Imran Khan should come forward and say under oath that he had not been given the NRO in the Bani Gala residence case when it was being heard by the court of the then Justice (retd) Saqib Nisar.

Malik claimed to have all the evidence on how and when it happened, the people involved, and who sent messages to whom. To a question, Malik said, “I stand by it [my statement] and I have complete evidence [to back it up.” He added that Jahangir Tareen was the collateral victim of this case.

It is relevant to mention that Malik Ahmad Khan was among those Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders who have been close to the retired army chief.