Shahbaz bail disappoints nation, says Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Thursday that the government as well as the nation was disappointed with the bail of Leader of Opposition Shahbaz Sharif, hoping the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is going to challenge it.

Sharing details of the federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, and replying to questions from media persons here, the minister said that bail of Shahbaz would have a negative impact on the society. He was hopeful that the NAB would challenge his bail and insisted the anti-graft body should do so.

Fawad said that Shahbaz’s was not a surprise, as he was never in confinement and was being seen on the Islamabad roads in speeding Mercedez and BMWs, enjoying protocol too. He referred to the system, which he reiterated PTI government would change. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had been talking about two systems, one for the rich and the other for the poor and the rich would always get relief. He said a poor man who stole chicken was perhaps yet to get bail, whereas the one who stole Rs1500 billion was granted bail.

He contended that there was fault in the system as the rich would go scot free by hiring the services of costly counsels while the poor thieves had to endure prolonged incarcerations on petty crimes. However, Fawad insisted the PTI government was fully committed to changing the system of loot and plunder altogether. The minister said that Shahbaz would be held accountable and be in the dock.

“Bail to Shehbaz Sharif will have negative effect on Pakistani society. NAB should challenge decision. The government is ready to extend support to NAB,” he said.

For the rich, he noted, it was like ‘catch me if you can’ situation. The minister maintained that NAB should tell the masses why cases against the rich could not be taken to their logical conclusion. He also referred to tours of former President Asif Ali Zardari across Sindh despite a JIT report about him. He pointed out when Islamabad High Court had given bail to Shahbaz, the Supreme Court had, in its judgement, in fact issued a charge-sheet against the bail.

About the upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, he said it would prove game changer, besides opening vistas of opportunities for country. He noted the visit of Saudi Crown Prince would be a milestone for the PTI-led government at the foreign policy front during past six months.

He said Pakistan had once again become a key player in the Middle East politics and its reconciliatory role had been recognised and “Pakistan is making sincere efforts to bridge the differences between various brotherly Muslim countries”.

Prime Minister Imran Khan and cabinet would welcome the Crown Prince and he would be presented 21-gun salute, he said. He will hold meetings with Prime Minister and President, besides others.

Fawad said, “The visit would open new vistas of opportunities for country. A large number of Saudi investors are also accompanying the Crown Prince. Around eight Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) would be inked with Saudi Arabia during the visit and Saudi Arabia is set to invest $8 billion in Gwadar”.

The minister noted a large entourage of Saudi investors was accompanying the Saudi Prince. Board of Investment had been assigned to organise workshops for briefing Saudi investors on investment opportunities in Pakistan, he said. Fawad said easing of visas facilities for Saudi investors would prove helpful in attracting tourists from Saudi Arabia and boosting industry in the country.

To a question, the minister said the government had already ordered external audit of Sui gas companies. Preliminary reports were not encouraging, as there were massive ‘irregularities’, he said.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) had apparently no political challenge and its fight against the system would continue. PTI broke the two-party system and was going ahead to change the system.

Fawad noted as many as 26 meetings of Federal Cabinet were held in last six months as compared to only five cabinet meetings held in corresponding period during the tenure of PML-N. The Cabinet took 440 decisions out of which 243 decisions had been implemented.

The federal cabinet, he said, decided to provide gas and power to country’s industrial zones. Owing to government policies foreign investment is pouring in from across the globe.

Giving details of the cabinet decisions, the minister noted the cabinet gave approval to appointment of Zafar Usmani as new chairman of Pakistan State Oil, along with reconstitution of its Board. He said an overseas Pakistani, Adnan Ghani, had been appointed as head of Zarai Tarqqiati Bank Limited.

“His appointment gives a message that PTI government appreciates and recognises the positive contributions of overseas Pakistanis in our economy,” he said. The Minister said that Naseer Khan Kashani has been appointed Chairman of Gwadar Port while the Essential Services Act has been implemented in State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan in order to carry out reforms in the problem-ridden department.

The Minister said draft proposal for merger of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority and National Disaster Management Authority was approved.

The cabinet also granted approval to Board of Pakistan Institute of Management Sciences. Besides, a committee had been set up for water payment of power royalty issue to Azad Kashmir. He said National Anti-Narcotics Policy was also laid before the cabinet.

Fawad clarified that visit of the Saudi Crown Prince would not burden Pakistan’s exchequer. Expenditures of visit of the crown prince, and his entourage are being borne by the visiting Saudis, he said.

The minister was hopeful negotiations with Taliban would prove game changer event in Islamabad, which he said is likely to bring stability in country attracting investments.

He claimed PTI government had so far attracted largest foreign investment in last ten years. He added the government had issued directives for provision of electricity and gas to industrial zones, as investors were gearing up for investment and such measures were essential for this purpose.

ANP adds from Karachi: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Khursheed Shah Thursday welcomed the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s decision granting bail to Shehbaz Sharif. Speaking to a private TV channel after LHC accepted Shehbaz’s bail petitions, Shah said this is a welcome move.

Now politics will take place in an independent environment and with independent thinking, he added. The opposition will work together to draft a plan of action for the issues faced by the country, the PPP senior leader further said.

Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said LHC’s decision to grant Shehbaz bail was based on merit and is a victory of the truth. She said Shehbaz saved the national treasury’s money in both the cases. It is a sad day for those who had been calling him a thief, she said.

Our position in the Parliament is strong which is why the government was chanting and labeling us thieves she added. Whenever Shehbaz raised a question against the government s performance it did not sit well with them.

Stating that NAB could not make a case of any kind against Shehbaz the PML-N leader further said Shehbaz had said if corruption was proven against him he would leave politics. Aurangzeb added Nawaz Sharif will also be proven right soon and will be among the public.