NAB-hit politicians call for justice to Shahbaz

LAHORE Noted political figures of the country who faced NAB cases for years have called for across the board accountability as well as justice for Opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif.

Shahbaz Sharif, former chief minister of Punjab and currently the Opposition leader in National Assembly was arrested by NAB on Friday over his alleged involvement in Ashiana Housing scheme scam. The News contacted the politicians from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and others who have faced cases by NAB for years allegedly due to the victimisation by the sitting government. Former chief minister Punjab Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, who was arrested by NAB in 1997 during the tenure of the PML-N government led by then PM Nawaz Sharif while talking to The News stated that he believed that justice should be done with Shahbaz Sharif.

Mian Manzoor Wattoo went on to say that arrest of Shahbaz Sharif by NAB was in fact the outcome of his own deeds as his party, in power had always victimised the opponents and committed atrocities against the innocent people.

“I faced victimisation in their hands for three years and eventually got acquitted but who will pay for the three years of my life who lost due to them” said Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo while recalling his days of detention in late 90s when the NAB was headed by Saif-ur-Rehman. Wattoo stated he was victimised just because he got elected as the CM of Punjab through a democratic way when 165 MPAs sided by him and rejected their leader of the House.

He said Shahbaz Sharif not only victimised the rivals but also disrespected them publicly, including him (Wattoo).

“As you sow, so shall you reap, but despite all that he has done to me, I believe that justice must be done to Shahbaz Sharif” said Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, who served as Speaker Punjab Assembly and Chief Minister Punjab for three terms. When contacted, former prime minister and central PPP leader Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who himself faced NAB charges for five years during the era of former president Pervez Musharraf, termed arrest of Shahbaz ‘political victimisation.’ He said that five years of his own life were taken because of false imprisonment in NAB cases and it seemed that ‘political witch-hunt continues today as well’. Rana Nazir Ahmed, former parliamentarian, who was arrested by NAB in 1999 while talking to The News, said whosoever was facing charges, he must get cleared himself from the court. He said that he himself faced cases for 16 years and eventually was acquitted by the court. Rana Nazir, who was once a close confident of Nawaz Sharif and currently siding with PTI while responding to the question about Shahbaz Sharif’s arrest said that ‘justice should be done with him or anyone’ who was facing such situation.