APML issues legal notice to British newspaper for apology
LAHORE: Pervez Musharraf’s party, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), has served a legal notice of $5 million to the British newspaper The Guardian over the allegations it levelled against the party and its head that were published in the paper on May 9.
According to text of the legal notice, it was claimed that the newspaper had said this in a news item: “The US and Pakistan had struck a secret deal permitting a US operation against Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil similar to the last week raid that killed the al Qaeda leader. The deal had been struck between the former president of Pakistan and the current APML head, Pervez Musharraf, and former US president George W Bush somewhere in 2001”.
The APML declared that the said news item was absolutely false, frivolous, fabricated and published as part of a vilification propaganda campaign aimed to harm, defame, and denigrate Musharraf’s reputation.
The notice said that the news item had been published without corroboration and counterchecking of the facts and on the basis of foul remarks passed by some unknown US and Pakistani serving as well as retired officials.
It was further said that the news item had been published with malafide intentions of maligning Musharraf’s image, both as the country’s former president and the current APML head. The notice said, “Also, there is no room for any individual personality or personalities to enter into verbal secret deals on behalf of their states.”
The publication of this false and fabricated news item has indeed provided an open chance to the political opponents to initiate disparagement propaganda against my client as well as triggering fierce criticism and hate from public at large within and outside Pakistan, it added.
The APML also declared the journalist Declan Walsh who reported the said news from Islamabad as “irresponsible” and insisted that the newspaper publish an unconditional public apology for printing such false, frivolous, and fabricated news item against Pervez Musharraf.
Through the legal notice, Musharraf’s party has also demanded $5 million as compensation for damaging the reputation of its head and lowering his popularity both within and outside Pakistan.
The legal notice was served to The Guardian through a High Court Advocate Faisal Fareed Hussain on behalf of APML General Secretary Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif.
Separately, an APML leader, Javed Badar, while talking to Daily Times, said that Pervez Musharraf is a true Pakistani and a patriot since he initiated the slogan of “Pakistan First” during his regime.
Musharraf had not signed any agreement with the US, he said, adding that during Musharraf’s tenure the US would not have dared to launch an operation like the one which was carried out in Abbottabad recently.
Source: Daily Times
Date:5/19/2011
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