Rose is a friend, says Shahzad

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar has said his relationship with Daily Mail’s reporter David Rose is not that of a ‘source’ but of a friend.

Speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, he said Rose had already done some stories on Pakistan, even before he was part of the government. “That means I was not the source of David Rose,” Shahzad said, adding that the reporter had done even a more dangerous story on the Sharif family titled ‘Penthouse pirates’.

Akbar said it was not in his knowledge that Rose had asked Kaveh Moussavi for any commission. He said even Moussavi did not tell him about anything during their meeting. He said it was an informal meeting with the Broadsheet owner in a café. He said Moussavi had so far levelled allegations against General Malik, Anjum Dar and David Rose.

Akbar requested the Broadsheet commission to investigate all these matters also. He said if Moussavi or Rose had any text messages in this regard, they should share those with the investigators. He said Moussavi and Rose had exchanged serious allegations and they could go to court also.

Akbar said he did not know much about the Broadsheet owner, Moussavi, and he could not talk about his character. He said he had already said that he met Mr Moussavi only twice. His first meeting with him was held with the reference to journalist David Rose

The SAMP said the main purpose of his meeting with Moussavi was reduction in the payable amount. He said in his first meeting with Moussavi, Rose was also present. He said he asked for reducing the payable amount, but Moussavi didn’t agree and asked for full payment.

Akbar said his second meeting with Moussavi was held with the help of human rights lawyer Clive Smith in Chelsea, and in that meeting the Broadsheet owner expressed his wish for another engagement with Pakistan.

“David Rose had told me that Moussavi wanted to talk to me about the payment,” Shahzad said. “My lawyer suggested me to meet Moussavi and ask for cut in the payable amount.”