Shahid Khaqan returns home

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who was placed on exit control list (ECL) by the government recently returned home on Monday morning after staying abroad for about two weeks.

He visited United States, France, Germany and England during his stay abroad. He visited his ailing sister in California who had undergone major surgery there. Shahid Abbasi whose name appeared in the list provided in the National Assembly in question hours on Monday was placed on it early this month on the recommendations of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He will appear before the NAB on April 25 (Thursday).

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has yet to be intimated by the government about placing his name in the ECL but he came to know about it a day earlier in London and he opted to return home although he had to stay there for a couple of days further. He later attended the National Assembly and chaired the meeting of the United Opposition Parliamentary leaders in the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly on Monday.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while having brief chat with The News/Jang later on Monday evening disclosed that he was on ECL during Musharraf government for eight long years and if again put on it, it makes no difference. Shahid Abbasi hinted that he could challenge the act of the government in court of law. Asked about his fear regarding his arrest by the NAB, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said regretfully that if the rule of law is buzz word than there would be no scope of arresting him but if victimization and witch-hunting are orders of the day, anything could happen.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said most painful thing is state of affairs of the country which have gone to dogs. “It appears that conditions in the prison and outside it would be identical in near future if the deterioration continues with the pace, it is moving ahead right now,” he maintained.