PM Imran Khan lashes out at PML-N, says Anti-Corruption Punjab performing better in PTI govt

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday lashed out at the PML-N, saying that under the last 31 months of the PTI, Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab (ACE) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had performed better. 

"The difference in anti corruption department Punjab's performance during the PTI govt & the PML-N's 10 years is clearly visible in the results achieved so far," tweeted the prime minister.

PM Khan said the ACE Punjab had recovered Rs220bn in the last 31 months of the PTI government "in contrast to dismal record of PMLN government's 10 years".

He said by far, state land worth Rs192bn in Punjab had been recovered by the PTI government while the PML-N had managed to recover only Rs2.6bn during the last 10 years.

"Cash recovery is Rs2.35bn as compared to only Rs430mn during PML-N's 10 years. Indirect cash recovery now stands at Rs26bn in contrast to zero during the PML-N's last 10 years," he added.

The prime minister said NAB had also performed better under the PTI government, stating that the anti-graft body had recovered, from 2018-2020, Rs484bn in contrast to only Rs290bn recovered from 1999 to 2017.

"When the government doesn't protect criminals and allows accountability to work without interference, results [are] achieved," he concluded.

The prime minister, over the past couple of years, has been lashing out at the Opposition, claiming that it had attempted to clip NAB's powers to escape corruption cases by suggesting amendments to the NAB ordinance.

The Opposition claimed that they asked the courts for NRO, the PM had said in a cabinet meeting last year, adding that the nation should be made aware of the amendments they wished to incorporate in the NAB legislation.