ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday lambasted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for repeatedly changing stances, and said that if Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was a “super king” then Imran Khan was “super corrupt” who abused every power.
Addressing a press conference here, the information minister said that when no evidence was found against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif in the money laundering and the assets beyond means cases, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned him in the Safe Drinking Water case but arrested Shehbaz in Aashiana case. She said that Shehbaz was booked in several cases including money laundering, disproportionate assets, and was arrested for the first time on October 5 and granted bail on February 14, 2019.
The minister said that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) defended all the “fabricated and baseless” cases by appearing before the courts while Imran Khan says he is not answerable to court in Billion Tree Tsunami, Toshakhana, and other corruption cases. She said that the PTI chief has “never spoken truth” but “always lied” and kept on changing stances.
The minister said that police raids were conducted on Shahbaz’s residences, Maryam Nawaz was handcuffed in front of her father but the PML-N leadership did not ask for an exemption. She questioned why Imran Khan has been exempted from all courts when Shehbaz Sharif answered all the cases.
Aurangzeb said that Shehbaz Sharif remained in jail for 241 days, joined the investigation and used to appear in the court every day and when the High Court got bail on merit, he was arrested again on September 28, 2020, after which he got bail on April 23, 2021.
She said that when no evidence was found against Shehbaz, the NAB under Imran Khan being run by Mirza Shahzad Akbar registered the cases of assets beyond income, money laundering, and others against Shehbaz. She also said that cases were made against all the leadership of the PML-N but no one took exception nor took shelter in homes by tying plaster on the leg.
Aurangzeb criticised Imran Khan and said that he used the power of the chair to put political opponents in jail but we responded to every case. She questioned at present, Imran Khan was leveling various allegations against former army Chief Qamar Bajwa “why as prime minister you didn’t take action against him?”
In addition, Aurangzeb also gave details about the statement of NAB approver Israr Saeed in Aashiana scandal against Shehbaz and Shahzad Akbar was “pressurising” the NAB officials.
She said Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Chief Engineer Israr Saeed has submitted an affidavit in the court revealing the agenda of fake cases against Shehbaz by the PTI government. The minister said that cases like Israr Saeed are exposing Imran Khan's reality every passing day.
The minister said Shehzad Akbar and his team were hired for fake cases against Shehbaz during PTI government. She said Shahzad Akbar was unconstitutionally employed only to make cases against Shehbaz and the political opponents.
She said fake witnesses were also created to justify false cases. She said at the same pattern, LDA chief engineer Israr Saeed was made a witness.
The minister said Imran Khan was habitual of abusing someone for a certain period by leveling baseless allegations and then either taking a U-turn or totally ignoring his past statements which is the hallmark of Imran Khan’s politics. She said that in the past, Imran Khan has levelled allegations against the judiciary, the United States, individuals and national institutions but always changed his stance.
She said Imran Khan was brought into power in sheer “violation of the law”. There was no “rule of law” during his tenure of government rather it was the “rule of the jungle”. She added that the country got real freedom when the “foreign agents, thieves and liars” like Imran Khan were thrown out of power.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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