Ex-CJP Saqib Nisar confirms son's voice in leaked audio

• "It is my son’s voice in the leaked audio," Justice (retd) Nisar says.
• Ex-top judge denies taking money for recommending Abuzar's name.
• Justice (retd) Nisar calls makers of audio "hypocrites".

In a leaked audio call involving a controversy regarding the issuance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) tickets for the upcoming Punjab elections, former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar confirmed Saturday that the voice in the audio call was of his son, Najam Saqib.

"It is my son’s voice in the leaked audio," the former top judge said when asked if it was his son in the purported call which was leaked earlier today.

Justice (retd) Nisar's confirmation came in a statement given to Geo News programme "Naya Pakistan".

A new alleged audio leak featuring Saqib surfaced earlier today, just days after his father’s purported audio leak surfaced on April 23.

The leaked audio purportedly features two separate telephonic conversations between former CJP's son and Abuzar Chadhar — a PTI candidate from PP137 — and another person Mian Uzair, whose identity remains unknown.

The three individuals could be heard allegedly talking about the provincial assembly ticket recently issued by PTI.

Meanwhile, the former CJP said that his son’s voice has been presented in a distorted way terming those who made the audio as “hypocrites”.

Responding to a question about the discussion in the audio revolving around PTI’s ticket distribution and his own role in the matter as mentioned by his son in the call, Justice (retd) Nisar said: "Has this caused anyone damage? Has this caused you damage?"

He called himself a “private person” who can make “recommendations” for anyone, the former chief justice said.

When asked if money can be taken for recommendations? Justice (retd) Nisar said: “Cursed be those who take money.”

While the judge did confess to recommending Abuzar for the PTI ticket but rejected taking money in return.

Geo News anchor Shehzad Iqbal, sharing his observation in the show, said that the PTI did not initially issue a ticket to Abuzar on the PP-137 seat in Lahore’s Sheikhupura district, as its first list issued on April 20 bore the name of another candidate Malik Iqbal. 

However, the party mentioned his name in its updated list on April 26 for its Central Punjab constituencies.

He added that it was possible that the change in candidates for PP-137 was done after the former top judge’s recommendation.