PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Haji Fazal Elahi and district councillors on Thursday alleged that MNA Ayesha Gulalai had falsely accused the party chairman of harassment at the behest of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders and Imran Khan’s former wife Reham Khan.

Mr Fazal Elahi told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club that Imran Khan had launched a campaign against the plunderers of national wealth and therefore, the anti-PTI people had joined hands to defame the PTI chief and prepared the ‘Gulalai drama’.

He also alleged that Reham Khan supported Ayesha Gulalai in assassinating the character of her former husband and PTI chief, Imran Khan.

Says woman MNA to face legal proceedings for defaming Imran

The lawmaker said the PPP leaders were exploiting the issue to serve political ends just because the PTI chief recently raised voice against the corruption of their leader, Asif Ali Zardari.

Accompanied by the district members and party workers, he declared the harassment allegation against Imran Khan ‘completely baseless’ and said Ayesha Gulalai would face legal proceedings.

Mr Elahi said Pakistani expatriates had given funds to Ms Gulalai for setting up a hospital just because of her association with the PTI and therefore, she should give that money to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital after quitting the party.

He said there was no difference between Reham Khan and Ayesha Gulalai as both were targeting Imran Khan to gain fame through shortcuts and cheap ways.

The lawmaker said he couldn’t imagine that a woman calling herself a Pakhtun could make shameful and baseless statement in front of the media.

He alleged that Ms Gulalai had always supported corrupt people.

He asked Ms Gulalai to produce the details of funds she collected for her proposed hospital and from distribution of tickets in Bannu. He also demanded that Ms Gulalai vacate the MNA seat given to her by the PTI.

He asked how a woman, who couldn’t become a councillor on her own, dared demand a National Assembly ticket for general elections.

The MPA also complained about excessive loadshedding in Peshawar and warned if corrective measures weren’t taken until Aug 10, he along with PTI workers would lock the Wapda offices in the city and operate all local power grid stations by themselves.

Also in the day, Ayesha Gulalai’s former political adviser Mujahid Khattak said there was no reality in allegations leveled by the woman lawmaker against PTI chairman Imran Khan, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and his provincial cabinet members.

He asked Gulalai to seek apology from Imran Khan for making ‘baseless’ harassment allegation.

Accompanied by PTI youth wing leaders and activists, Mr Mujahid said he was present in the meeting of a delegation led by Ayesha Gulalai at Imran Khan’s mansion in Bani Gala where she demanded the NA-I ticket for general elections.

He insisted Imran Khan told lawmaker that the ticket would be awarded by the party parliamentary board on merit basis only.

“After that meeting, Ayesha Gulalai leveled baseless harassment allegation against PTI and Imran Khan but failed to produce evidence,” he said.

He said he was part of the fundraising campaign for Ayesha Gulalai Hospital, which generated one lac and 2,000 dirhams in Dubai and 55,000 dirhams in Qatar.

He demanded thorough probe into the use of funds. He also asked the MNA to give the money to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Also, PTI district member Haleem Zada told a news conference that Ayesha Gulalai had leveled harassment allegation against the PTI chief to earn cheap publicity.

He asked the woman MNA to seek apology from Imran Khan within a week.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2017