ISLAMABAD: With the arrest of Khawaja Asif, senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart and the party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, another proponent of a grand national dialogue has been put behind bars.
Like Khawaja Asif, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif -- who has always been a fierce advocate of national reconciliation, non-confrontation and national dialogue to pull Pakistan out of its present conflict-ridden state -- was also incarcerated, three months ago, by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Even while he has been in NAB custody, Shahbaz has persisted with his time-tested conciliatory line.
There were many eyes raised within the PML-N over Khawaja Asif’s insistence on a national dialogue, but he remained firm in his opinion and kept saying that a solution to the prevailing situation could be found only through such a process. Last year, he was the main point man of the party tasked by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to convey to party MPs to extend unconditional support to the amendment in the law relating to the reappointment/extension of the army chief for a three-year tenure.
On this count, he had got immense flak from many PML-N lawmakers. Even Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was angry with him for this reason. But Khawaja Asif kept saying that he was only acting on the directives of the PML-N supreme leader.
Khawaja Asif is in NAB custody for the second time since the establishment of the anti-graft watchdog two decades ago. He was arrested for the first time by NAB in 1999 after the imposition of martial law by Pervez Musharraf but was finally exonerated by the courts from all the charges. His incarceration had spanned several months.
He was among the rare NAB detainees, among them Ishaq Dar, who had been lodged in the Attock Fort. “We were confined to a 4ft x 6ft cell during detention and could not see any light for almost four days. We were brought out from the cell handcuffed and blindfolded,” he had once said.
Despite facing a hard time in jail, he had remained steadfast and unwavering as far as his loyalty and association with the PML-N was concerned. On this occasion, NAB has apprehended him in an ‘assets beyond means’ case, which has been going on for more than two years and was started after the 2018 general elections. He had appeared before the NAB investigators umpteen times. Side by side with the NAB proceedings, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of Punjab has also registered a case against his wife and other family members in connection with a housing society in Sialkot.
Those happiest over his arrest are his Sialkot constituency rivals – Punjab Chief Minister’s special assistant Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide Usman Dar – who have given vent to their joy. However, Asif has always managed to defeat both of them in every election from Sialkot. “Khawaja Asif should have been jailed a long time ago for his misdeeds,” his two rivals have said in their reaction to his arrest.
According to a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief, he was directed to detain Khawaja Asif after registering a treason case against him, but he had refused on the grounds that no such charge was made out. Khawaja Asif had appeared before the FIA a number of times to answer questions.
Despite losing the elections to him, Usman Dar kept putting up a relentless fight to get Khawaja Asif jailed and also disqualified as an MP. On his petition, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared Asif ineligible for life under Article 62(1)(f) in April 2018, but the ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court after two months, allowing him to contest the elections.
The IHC had punished him for not disclosing his employment in a UAE company as an occupation as well as the monthly salary he was receiving. Khawaja Asif has been held by NAB at a time when the PML-N is confronted with a difficult situation. “There have been many attempts to break the party and weaken its supremo Nawaz Sharif over the last two-and-a-half years. I am 100 percent sure that Prime Minister Imran Khan is behind my arrest. I have been facing this case for over two years, first in Rawalpindi then in Lahore,” Asif said after his appearance in an accountability court.
