Nawaz slams Shahbaz’s arrest as ‘cruelty’

LONDON: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the arrest of his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif as the “worst form of injustice” – after the former Punjab chief minister’s bail plea was rejected in the money-laundering case.

Speaking to Pakistani media near the Hyde Park Corner office of his son Hasan Nawaz, the former prime minister said: “This is extreme injustice. This is cruelty. I have already said it in my All Parties Conference (APC) speech. The current government and the system in place have violated all norms of decency and this is completely unacceptable to us. Such tactics are rejected and not acceptable to us. We will not surrender.”

Nawaz Sharif was joined at his son’s office by nephew Suleman Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Abid Sher Ali, Nasir Butt, Ejaz Gull and Ali Dar. Suleman told media that Shahbaz Sharif had informed in advance that Imran Khan and the NAB will put him behind the bars.

Condemning his father’s arrest, Suleman Shahbaz said: “The partnership between NAB and Imran Khan is proven. There is no doubt that Imran Khan is a selected Prime Minister. He has failed badly. He has failed to fulfill commitments on delivering 10 million jobs, five million homes and other tall promises. To deflect the attention of masses from these promises and to befool them, they have started using such tactics. We have been vindicated in the court of Pakistani people before and will be vindicated again with the help of Allah. We will not surrender and we will not give up.”

Former finance minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the arrest. Dar said that the whole PML-N was united behind Nawaz Sharif’s narrative and arrest of Shahbaz Sharif proved that the NAB was in the control of Imran Khan.