PML-N terms raid as NAB-Niazi nexus, Chohan says Shehbaz proves he is not a leader but a jackal
A team of the National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday failed to arrest Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mian Shehbaz Sharif as he was not available at his Model Town residence.
As the PML-N President missed hearing in cases relating to money laundering and possessing assets beyond means in the morning, the team of the anti-graft watchdog arrived at his residence in the afternoon with arrest warrants but returned empty handed due to his absence. The team showed arrest warrants to inmates, stayed there for about one and half hour for house search and later returned to the Regional Headquarters.
On hearing reports of heavy police contingent besieging the residence of Shehbaz Sharif before arrival of NAB team, PML-N leaders and workers reached Model Town residence of their leader. PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Kh Imran Nazir, Azma Bokhari, and Rana Mashood Ahmed were prominent among others. Dozens of workers also reached the place to express solidarity with the party leadership. Highly-charged workers chanted slogans in favour of PML-N leadership and against the PTI regime and the anti-graft body. The atmosphere echoed with slogans of NAB-Niazi gathjor namanzoor. Kh Imran Nazir fell unconscious due to suffocation caused by rush of party workers
Presence of unprecedented number of policemen outside Jati Umra residence of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised possibilities of NAB team present there but it did not happen. NAB team was evaluating reply of Shehbaz Sharif when this report was filed.
Earlier in the day, PML-N President was supposed to appear before NAB but he skipped appearance citing his weak immunity as cancer survivor, old age and reports of some NAB officials testing positive for COVID-19. “It has been widely reported in the media that some NAB officials have tested positive for Covid-19”, he stated in a letter addressed to NAB high ups.
“I am 69 year old cancer survivor. I have been advised limited exposure on account of the peculiar background of low immunity,” he stated while offering his availability on Skype to answer any queries by the investigation team.
Talking to the newsmen after the episode, Marriyum Aurangzeb criticised the NAB and the present regime, saying the move was aimed at diverting public attentions from mega corruption scandals. She said that such tactics would fail to stop PML-N from highlighting real issues.
“ This is NAB-Niazi nexus. This is government response to corona and Rs3 billion theft through sugar export. This circus is being played out because they don’t have the courage to summon Imran Khan or to arrest him and Chief Minister Buzdar,” she said. She also said that the party would continue to raise voice against” inefficient, ineligible and corrupt regime”. Malik Ahmed Khan termed the move a “witch hunt”.
“NAB officials need to understand that we issued our statement based on doctor’s advice. And we have never said “No” to answering any questions. It was politically motivated move. Raid during a pandemic and that too after medical advice is uncalled for “, he said.
Provincial Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said that Shehbaz Sharif had proven that he was not a leader but a geedar (jackal).
While talking to a private channel, he said: “He boasted when he came back from London that he’s here to fight the coronavirus. Since then he is in quarantine. International protocol is only 14 days and not 1,400 days.” He added that Shehbaz should have appeared before NAB when he was summoned. “When there was a case on the premier, he presented a document and the court gave him a certificate of sadiq and ameen. But Shehbaz knows he can’t do that because he’s guilty of the worst kind of corruption.”
