ISLAMABAD: Two cabinet ministers on Saturday traded allegations against each other with Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi serving a legal notice of Rs 100 million as compensation on Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati for leveling “baseless corruption charges” against him.However, undeterred by the notice, Swati said a mere notice could not shield a crime by a minister who looted 29,000 pilgrims. Asked whether he had solid proof to support his allegations against, Swati said he had inalienable proof of the corruption scam.“I have written to the president and the prime minister but still have received no response,” the minister added. Asked why he did not move court against the minister if he had such solid proof, Swati said that the matter was already in the court.
“I will present my proof in the court of law if and when the court summons me,” the minister added. He said that he was serving the country and its people with a missionary cause and would not budge to the act of cowardice on part of corrupt elements.Asked whether the premier had forbidden him from making any media statement, Swati said the prime minister had no reference with the corruption of the religious affairs minister and only the minister was responsible for the misdeed.On the other hand, Kazmi brushed aside the impression that the prime minister had advised him to withdraw the legal notice against Swati, saying no one had forbidden him from adopting the legal course.“In fact, the prime minister forbade both of us from getting involved in the media war,” he added. Asked whether or not Swati had received the legal notice, Kazmi said he had no such information. “Let me reiterate that the corruption charges against me are baseless and that my hands are clean and therefore I have adopted a legal course to confront the allegations leveled against me,” he added. Asked whether or not the prime minister was going to resolve the issue, the minister said he would request do it – Pakistantoday
