ISLAMABAD: The opposition leader in the National Assembly and PML-N President Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that he was being offered to become an approver against Khawaja Asif as he maintained that there is an unholy alliance between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which is targeting the opposition parties.
“I will not talk about merits or demerits of the case framed against me but I will say there is an unholy alliance between the PTI and NAB, which is targeting my party and opposition,” Shahbaz Sharif while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly said. Shahbaz Sharif observed that history was created with the arrest of the opposition leader without any evidencesof any crime against him, saying that he is being kept in a small room in custody of NAB having no ventilation or sunlight. “This House will have to decide whether it is change or ‘Naya Pakistan,” he said. Shahbaz Sharif said it could not be termed a change for the good, rather it was fascism. “If it is fascism, those behind it should remember the fate of Hitler and Mussolini.”
The PML-N president also demanded constitution of a committee of the House to probe charges against him with evidence. “I am ready to give up leadership of my party if charges against me in the light of evidence are proved against me,” he offered. At this, the Law Minister Farogh Naseem clarified that Section 36 of NAB Ordinance forbids constitution of any such committee of Parliament. He also said any matter which is sub judice also could not be discussed on the floor of the House. Shahbaz Sharif also disclosed that the investigation officer namely Aftab also offered him to become approver against Khawaja Asif. “On that I tell him whether NAB has arrested me in ‘Saaf Pani’ or for purpose of making me approver against Khawaja Asif,” he said. The opposition leader who is under physical remand of NAB in connection with the allegations pertaining to Ashiana Housing Scheme turned up in the National Assembly after the Speaker issued his production orders. The members sitting on the opposition benches welcomed Shahbaz Sharif by thumping the desks.
The National Assembly session which was requisitioned by the opposition following arrest of Shahbaz Sharif was prorogued on Wednesday evening following speeches from treasury and opposition benches. Shahbaz Sharif amid sloganeering from his party’s parliamentarians maintained that he had not come to the House to defend himself because seeing difficult times was not new for them. “The new thing is that it is being said that it will not make any difference if 50 people are sent to jail,” he said. During investigation, he informed the House that the NAB official told him that they have strong evidence that he (Shahbaz) and his children have made investments in China and Turkey. “On that I asked the official whether it is National Accountability Bureau or National Blackmailing Bureau,” he said adding he felt that he was not eligible to sit in this House if these charges are proved against him. He pointed out that it is the same allegations which Imran Khan used to level before 2018 general elections which also proved that there is an unholy alliance between PTI and NAB. He recalled that Imran Khan prior to general elections accused him and his children of establishing steel mills in China while NAB officials are also repeating the same charges.
On the other hand, he said he saved Rs11 billion in solid waste management project with Turkey and for the first time started process of bidding in government to government contracts between China and Pakistan. In the case of Orange Line Train Project, the opposition leader said that after hectic negotiations, he brought down cost of the mega plan from $2.12 billion to $1.47 billion. He also demanded of the chair to constitute a committee of the House to probe charges against him in these cases levelled by Leader of the House. “If charges are not proved, he (Imran) should resign,” he said. Shahbaz Sharif further said that the Investigation Officer also told him that there is no corruption charge against him in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme but there is charge that he (Shahbaz) attempted to award contract of Rs1.5 billion project to Major (retd) Kamaran Kiani who owned a construction company only to please then army chief. Shahbaz said he told NAB official as to how he could award such contract to Major (retd) Kamran Kayani when he had cancelled Rs35 billion contract for construction of Ring Road in Lahore for its slow progress. “I also met the former army chief General Ashfaq Kayani on the issue after Major Kamran did not pay heed to the advice to speed up the project,” he said adding ultimately the contract was cancelled.
Shahbaz Sharif, however, was appreciative of the attitude of General Kayani saying he never complained against cancellation of the contract awarded to his brother. “Not only that I cancelled the project but also sent the case to the anti-corruption department,” he said. Sharif said he also complained to the NAB DG that notice was issued in ‘Saaf Pani’ case but his arrest was made in Ashiana Housing Scheme. On that, he said the official responded that they acted as per directives. He further said that Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi as Punjab chief minister changed the alignment of the Ring Road and committed corruption of billions of rupees. Shahbaz Sharif said that results of by-elections proved that 2018 general elections were fake as the PML-N got back its National Assembly seats from PTI saying that Imran Khan was also a product of rigging.
Taking the floor next, the PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif said it is due to political victimisation committed by both his party and the PPP against each other during the decade of 1990s that the nation had to face eight years of dictatorship. “The present government should also learn a lesson from the history,” he said. He pointed out that the PTI government has started suffering humiliation for the last two weeks as in contradiction of their claims they approached IMF to seek record $15 billion loan while the Leader of the House also lost two National Assembly seats in the by-elections which he won in general elections. “The five-year rhetoric is coming on your face,” he said. He also advised the government not to repeat the mistakes committed by two political parties and try to re-claim the space captured by dictators due to confrontation among democratic forces. “You will be under big misunderstanding if you want to strengthen your government through political victimisation,” he said.He observed that instead of mending fences with the rivals, the PTI government is poisoning the environment at the start its tenure and so much so the opposition leader was arrested saying the government i at war with everybody. Baloch parliamentarian Sardar Akhtar Mengal questioned whether the accountability process is confined to politicians and bureaucrats. “Those who breached the Constitution, picked up innocent people and killed them should also be held accountable,” he said. He questioned as to how a person who as head of a commission for missing persons could not recover missing people, would be able to recover billions of rupees looted money as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau.
