Fawad believes Nawaz would be arrested

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement that no one would be given “NRO” has triggered a debate and it is being asked who is seeking an NRO and who can sanction it. This was stated by Shahzeb Khanzada in his Geo News programme — Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.

He said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had claimed in Geo News programme Capital Talk that some people were contacting the PM for an NRO. Shahzeb asked if the government could grant an NRO while it claims that cases are being run by the NAB, and a case involving Asif Zardari is pending with the apex court. The programme host said it was important to know the people who were seeking NRO.

Speaking in the programme, Capital Talk host Hamid Mir said that according to some PTI government figures, some foreign personalities (not from Saudi Arabia and the UAE) had talked about an NRO, and the PM had given them the message ruling out any deal. Hamid Mir said the foreign personalities tried to dissuade the government from arresting Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.

Hamid Mir said that the Saudi Crown Prince had also made it clear to Imran Khan in a one-on-one meeting that the kingdom would not interfere in Pakistan’s internal political issues. Hamid said: “Perhaps Imran Khan has got an NOC (no objection certificate) that Saudi Arabia won’t talk about the Sharif family.”

Hamid said that Fawad had asserted in the Capital Talk that Nawaz would definitely be arrested, 100 per cent, and claimed he was saying that on the basis of facts. Hamid said that in an off-the-record meeting with journalists, Imran had said that he was talking about future arrests on the basis of massive information given by the FIA after which he was confident NAB or courts would definitely arrest some opposition personalities.

Hamid said that some PML-N personalities who had been facing NAB cases had contacted some non-political figure, adding it could be inferred from that conversation that a group in the PML-N wanted NRO. He said he was an eyewitness to some people who are not in politics have sought relief for a few PML-N personalities, including Nawaz and Shahbaz, from a few very important persons. Nawaz and Shahbaz deny any such move, Hamid Mir concluded.