NAB raid a drama byNAB-Niazi nexus: PML-N

LAHORE: PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb terming Tuesday’s development taking place in Model Town a ‘circus’ and a ‘drama’ by NAB-Niazi nexus said the same was aimed at diverting attention of the masses from government’s incompetence in dealing with situation vis-à-vis coronavirus and other issues such as sugar crisis report.

Talking to media outside the Model Town residence of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, the PML-N leader further said Shahbaz had submitted a petition in the Lahore High Court Monday maintaining the NAB operation (against him) were allegedly ill-intentioned and based on political vendetta and added a divisional bench of the LHC had scheduled a hearing for the petition today (Wednesday).

Marriyum further said after the petition was scheduled for hearing, Shahbaz wrote a letter to the NAB Tuesday explaining that since some NAB officers had also tested positive for coronavirus and he (Shahbaz) was a cancer survivor he would not appear before the NAB while his petition had also been scheduled for hearing in the Lahore High Court.

She further alleged that Tuesday’s operation by the NAB was carried out on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan and since Shahbaz’s petition was scheduled for hearing, the move was not just unconstitutional and illegal but also a contempt of court.

She said from ‘Ganda Naala, Saaf Pani, Ashiana Scheme, 56 companies to earthquake funds (embezzlement) etc were all false allegations and despite these false allegations, the former chief minister continued appearing before the NAB. She also said Shahbaz remained in the custody of the NAB for 133 days and questioned what were the questions the NAB could not ask (get answers) during all these days? She said corruption of not a single penny could be proved.

The PML-N spokesperson further said NAB chairman had taken notice of sugar crisis and questioned what progress took place afterwards. She further questioned why the premier was not being summoned (by NAB) and why he was not being arrested? Similarly, she said no one arrested or summoned Punjab chief minister, who allegedly stole Rs3 billion from people’s pockets and put it into pockets of thieves in sugar crisis.

Marriyum further said Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, entire PML-N leadership and workers would fight these tactics and circuses. Addressing the NAB chairman, she said if NAB team was here to arrest Shahbaz, then the people of Pakistan would go to Bani Gala to arrest Imran Khan, who stole Pakistanis sugar. She said no one was summoned or arrested neither any forensic was done in 23 foreign funding accounts case, Malam Jabba case, helicopter case, sugar case, billion-tree tsunami case etc because all instructions were allegedly being issued from the Prime Minster House. She added people were dying because of coronavirus and there were no ventilators in hospitals and such circuses were staged to divert attention masses attention.

She said curfew was imposed in Model Town while the PML-N workers including women were baton charged. She added Kh Imran Nazir was also baton charged.

While reacting to Tuesday’s developments, PML-N Punjab Secretary Information Azma Bokhari condemned the NAB raid saying it was a planned move and was hinted by Prime Minister Imran Khan and Railways Minister Sh Rashid as both of them had publically said that Shahbaz Sharif would be in the jail.

Talking to The News, Azma Bokhari further said the case of Imran Khan was fit for accountability vis-à-vis living beyond means if real accountability had to be done in the country as he had no income and did not inherit any property. She said Imran Khan had declared assets worth Rs10.42 million in the Election Commission of Pakistan, in 2013 while in 2015 he declared assets worth over Rs1 billion. “Is there any fit case for accountability vis-à-vis living beyond means other than this?” she questioned.

She also said Sh Rashid in a TV programme had said people from only the Opposition benches would be in jails while those from the treasury benches were exempted from this (accountability).

Kh Imran Nazir said the government wanted to hide its incompetence vis-à-vis coronavirus response and poor economy by arresting Shahbaz Sharif. He said PML-N workers and elected members of assembly were baton-charged and manhandled in Model Town.

Our Islamabad correspondent adds: Pakistan People’s Party has strongly condemned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team raid on the residence of opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif.

“The NAB action is condemnable and an act of victimisation,” said Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the spokesman for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He said the federal ministers had been issuing statements that after Eid, several politicians would be arrested. “If NAB is free, then why it does not act on sugar and wheat crisis and the BRT [Bus Rapid Transit-Peshawar] scandal,” he said.

Nawaz Khokhar said the country was facing Covid-19 and locust issues and the government was targeting the opposition.

Sabah adds: Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said Tuesday the accountability of corrupt leaders had been started and the process will be completed. In a statement , the minister said Shahbaz Sharif wants to escape from NAB and had skipped hearings twice using coronavirus as an excuse. Shahbaz laundered money, committed corruption and nepotism with great obstinacy and courage and he should face the anti-corruption watchdog now, Chohan said.

He said NAB is an independent body and has enough evidence against Shahbaz but the opposition leader did not appear despite repeated summons. He asked that should every other criminal also be released if they have any illness. There is no such precedence, he added.

He said Shahbaz had fled to London in fear of the coronavirus but coronavirus has exposed Shahbaz. "He is acting out of cowardice. Quarantine lasts for 14 days only but the opposition leader has been in quarantine for several days," Chohan said, adding, "Today Shahbaz had proved that he is not a leader but a geedar."