Audio call between CJP Bandial's mother-in-law, PTI lawyer's wife leaked

An audio call, purportedly between Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial's mother-in-law, Mahjabeen Noon, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim’s wife, Rafia Tariq, surfaced on Sunday where the two were heard discussing their support for the top Supreme Court judge and the wish for snap elections.

The women, during the alleged call, also expressed their resentment towards the incumbent government in Islamabad.

In the purported leaked call, Mahjabeen and the PTI counsel's wife, speak about their concern for the chief justice amid the ongoing election delay case which is being heard by a three-member bench at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

CJP Bandial's mother-in-law is heard extending her support towards her son-in-law assuring him to strengthen him in the midst of the rift between the government and the apex court.

"Weaken them and strengthen them," the CJP's mother-in-law said on the call.

They also vaguely discuss about being in a Lahore rally where there were hundreds of thousands of people.

The bench — headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar as members — in its April 4 order, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the polls in Punjab on May 14.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Ata Tarar shared the audio clip on his Twitter account, saying that he is sure about the deep conspiracy after hearing the audio clip.

"The Constitution and law have been trampled for the sake of families. The families of Chief Sahib and two colleagues are trying to bring Imran Niazi to power by holding early elections along with attending [political] rallies," Tarar tweeted.

He then went to ask if Article 63 A's interpretation was now understood.

Reacting to the alleged audio leak, PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry said that his party has repeatedly asked the Supreme Court to "look into the disastrous series of audio leaks" after phone calls of the PM Office and PM House were released in the past.

"The Prime Minister's Office is so insecure that the meeting is being recorded, so who else will be safe?" he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

He added that even after the passage of several months, the application has not been filed in the Supreme Court.

"Now, judges, politicians, civil servants and even housewives are victims of this third class thinking and no one can do anything," he tweeted.

Fawad, in his tweet, mentioned that "such illegal phone tapping is punishable by up to three years in prison under the fair trial law."

Transcript of call

Mahjabeen: Hello Rafia, what is going to happen? I have been praying for Umar [Ata Bandial] since last night, I can’t tell you [how much I] have been praying since the morning.

Rafia Tariq: I have told people as well and sent a message to Umar. I said that you were present at the Lahore rally. There were hundreds and thousands of people. Similarly, there are hundreds and thousands of people in every city. And you just [try to] estimate how much the world is praying for you right now, which will [increase] your strength and your safety.

[inaudible]

Rafia Tariq: No no, his safety is a must.

Mahjabeen: Weaken them and strengthen them.

Rafia: May Allah make the others blind. That’s what I am saying. They are…they are traitors of this country. Look at the way they are doing it.

Mahjabeen: Exactly. But now they are saying why has he got the authority to do it.

Rafia: No, but no, no, no.

Mahjabeen: They are deliberately giving an advantage by putting other things there now.

Rafia: There is no other thing.

Mahjabeen: And also questioning why has suo motu been taken.

Rafia: That’s his right.

Mahjabeen: Umar hasn’t been given [suo motu], it had happened earlier.

Rafia: No, but it’s the right of every chief justice. If you have to change the law then change them in your […vella] not at this time

Mahjabeen; No, but they can’t change them now.

Rafia: Not now. They can change it later but not now. The law is there.

Mahjabeen: Law is there. Exactly.

Rafia: Yeah. Exactly. [inaudible]

Mahjabeen: [I told his wife and kids] You don’t come at all. You stay with Umar. He needs you at this moment.

Rafia: No. Not even Naveen should come and I have told Iman that 'beta stay with abba all the time'.

Mahjabeen: Yeah, exactly.

Rafia: At night, I… at night.. at night I sent something to them both, him and Muneeb. You know what he sent me [back]? The face that you make while biting the tongue. He was telling me to be careful. Why should I be careful? Why?

Mahjabeen: May the elections be held at the earliest.

Rafia: Elections… see if they don’t happen then assume there will be [martial law]. They [PDM govt] cannot stay that’s it.

Mahjabeen: They are not even ready to impose martial law.

Rafia: They are ready.