Political victimisation will cost Imran: Hamza

LAHORE: Punjab Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz has said political victimisation is behind the recent wave of accountability which will cost Imran Khan. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader while speaking to the media after appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Saaf Paani case said corrupt people were present on the right and left side of Prime Minister Imran Khan. "Political victimisation will cost Imran," he warned. "The masses are looking at the government actions. People have rejected this New Pakistan. The fake accountability will not last long, we will fight it sternly," he added.

Hamza said the prime minister should apologise over Banigala encroachment. "Tell facts to the nation, tell them your visits on KP's state helicopter. We have passed Musharraf's 10 years. You have stolen the farmers’ subsidy," he said. The PML-N leader said while the national reserves were shrinking on a daily basis, the government has prioritised accountability, adding that the government was begging for a billion dollars, while the previous government got Rs50 billion CPEC investment.

Hamza said no traces for financial malpractices were found in the accountability court's December 24 verdict against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

"Shahbaz Sharif was called by the NAB in the Saaf Pani case and arrested for the Ashiana scam, they haven't found any evidence in last three months," he said.

Hamza demanded an inquiry into Peshawar's BRT project. "We completed Rawalpindi-Lahore-Multan metro bus project in Rs90 billion," he said, and added the prime minister should bring forward the source of income of his sister Aleema Khan.

"No corruption has been proven against Nawaz and Shahbaz, while PM Imran Khan has people in the federal and provincial cabinets who are facing NAB cases," he said.

Earlier, the combined investigation team of the NAB questioned Hamza in an inquiry related to assets beyond known sources of income. The CIT questioned him for more than one hour.