ISLAMABAD, December 25: A day after deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif was handed down a seven-year jail term and billions of rupees in fine in Al-Azizia corruption reference, his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party leaders on Tuesday threatened to stage strong protests both inside and outside parliament over what they called ‘selective accountability’.
“A selected prime minister is resorting to selective accountability in the country,” said former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, flanked by Rana Sanaullah, Musadik Malik, Muhammad Zubair and Mushahidullah Khan among other PML-N leaders while addressing a joint news conference in Islamabad.
Iqbal said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not produce any evidence of Nawaz’s corruption and the verdict was based on nothing but assumptions. The company over which the sentence was announced was established in 2001 when the PML-N supremo was living in exile, he added.
“He [Nawaz] was punished for money he was sent by his son … is that a crime?” he questioned.
The senior PML-N leader questioned ‘mega scandals’ that have unearthed during first 125 days of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, including billions allegedly made through the overnight hike in price of US dollar and purchase of expensive furnace oil by creating ‘artificial’ gas shortage in the country. “Who is responsible for this?” he asked.
Iqbal went on to say that a conspiracy was being hatched to forcefully impose another ‘conventional league’ and ‘Q league’ in the shape of ruling PTI.
Terming the ongoing accountability process discriminatory, he said only PML-N leaders are arrested at the inquiry stage while PTI leaders, who have 10-year-old cases registered against them, are given dates of their own choice.
Speaking on the occasion, former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair said Jahangir Tareen and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum should be asked as to how they were able to send that much money abroad. “If matter relating to Aleema is resolved by paying fine, then it means she committed some misdeed,” he added. Sanaullah, the former Punjab law minister said criticising the accountability court’s verdict was the right of PML-N leaders. Firing a broadside at Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, he said, “There’s an ugly man who lives in the beautiful city of Rawalpindi is acting like a NAB spokesperson.” The PML-N stalwart said there was nothing unusual for the party as its leaders also faced similar selective accountability in the past as well.
Senator Mushahidullah Khan said Nawaz Sharif was being punished for making the country progress. “His [Nawaz] only fault is to eliminate the country’s darkness, shoring up its economy and eradicating terrorism form its soil … who else has the guts to return home knowing he will be thrown in jail.” Musadik Malik, speaking on the occasion, said PM Imran’s comment on Hitler indicated that he himself was ‘Hitler’, who suppressed the voice of dissent under his rule. “I hope he [PM Imran] doesn’t end up like the German dictator,” he added.-Agencies
