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ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar Wednesday said he had served over Rs500 million legal notice to Bashir Memon, a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general, for raising false and politically motivated imputations against him, prime minister, principal secretary to PM and law minister, in a television show.

According to the notice dated April 28, Memon had appeared on a show called “Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath” aired on Geo Television on Tuesday night where he passed completely untrue and libelous defamatory statements accusing the premier’s adviser of pressurizing him (Memon) to file a case against a judge of the Supreme Court.

An honest and law-abiding citizen appointed by the president on the basis of a distinguished professional career in law and human rights, never pressurized Memon to use FIA to harass or victimize him (judge)or any other individual, Shahzad said in the notice.

“You being a former police officer ought to have known that raising imputation without any evidence or factual basis, fabricating or twisting facts to narrate a completely untrue and misleading account is a criminal offense,” read the notice.

“The defamatory statement is a part of a hateful media campaign launched at the behest of those criminal and corrupt elements the incumbent government is trying to investigate and prosecute in a completely transparent, fair and neutral manner through a judicious forum,” it added.

The notice said the slanderous allegations have damaged the reputation of Shahzad Akbar, and Memon should pay Rs500 million for damaging the reputation of the advisor and Rs2 million as a legal fee.

“You are liable to make good all losses caused to the advisor to the prime minister – in case you do not retract your false defamatory statement – issue an unconditional apology within the next 14 days through media – in case of failure legal proceedings will be initiated against you, the notice said.

My lawyers have issued legal notice to Bashir Memon for his lies n slanderous accusations with malafide and without any evidence. I firmly believe in rule of law n he shall be answerable before a court of law for his slander. pic.twitter.com/eL7GFXc8jx

— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) April 28, 2021

Former director-general of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) Bashir Memon has accused the prime minister and his cabinet members of using the investigative agency for political purposes.

Speaking to a private TV channel, the former official said that he was approached by Shahzad Akbar and Farogh Naseem to prepare a charge sheet against Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other opposition leaders during his tenure as the FIA director-general.

Memon said Naseem and Akbar also wanted him to proceed against Justice Isa on money laundering charges but he had refused to do, adding that the agency had no grounds to act especially in the matter of an apex court judge.

Memon said he met the prime minister who told him to pursue cases against corrupt people but was unsure what the prime minister was referring to. The former DG FIA said he did not know later he would be asked to file a case against Justice Isa.