ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday distanced itself from the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, saying "he was taken into custody by the NAB after the bail in money laundering case was rejected by the court".
Speaking at a presser soon after the arrest of Shehbaz in Lahore, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shibli Faraz, along with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shehzad Akbar, called upon the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to "accept court's decision as the time for separate laws for rich and poor has passed".
Faraz said that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had that day claimed to be born-rich, adding there was nothing wrong with making money through hard work, but when an investigative agency asked for money trail, they had no answer.
"They [the Sharifs] consider themselves above the law and their attitude is even more arrogant than that of the kings...the PTI came into with the slogan of accountability [and] there will be no let up in making the plunderers of national wealth accountable," he added.
Faraz said the Sharifs considered it a disgrace to answer the questions pertaining to their wealth by the investigative agencies but when they were in power and the institutions worked according to their intentions; that was fine.
"If your leader, his children and capital are abroad, what's the stake of Nawaz Sharif in the country," he questioned. The ministers went on saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan had built a house with his earnings before coming into politics, and it was during the PML-N government that the Supreme Court declared him "sadiq and amin".
He continued that the bail plea of PML-N president was dismissed because he failed to satisfy the Lahore High Court (LHC), adding the opposition leader could not present any evidence in his defence.
Speaking on the occasion, Akbar, while taking a jibe at the PML-N leadership, said that this was the money earned through kickbacks, and "we would hold all those involved in stealing the taxpayers' hard-earned money".
He said Sharif and his party lost the legal battle that day, adding the court turned down his bail plea in the light of evidence against him.
He alleged that the PML-N president had been involved in "organised money laundering", adding the opposition leader made assets in the name of his children and servants, for which he should be made accountable.
Akbar said Maryam Nawaz had exposed the PML-N president during her presser that day as "she openly told people that her uncle refused to be used against Nawaz Sharif which landed him in jail".
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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