NAB created for carrying out 'political engineering': Bilawal

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has claimed that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was created for carrying out 'political engineering' and his party had committed a mistake by not amending its 'black' laws during its government. He also made it clear that his party would not support the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for giving another extension to military courts, saying this system is causing violation of human rights in the country.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Wednesday expressed these views while talking to media persons outside the NAB office as well as at Zardari's House after appearing before a NAB investigation team in Islamabad on Wednesday in relation to the fake accounts case. "The NAB has become itself a money laundering institution and it is a system of political revenge. I am not worried or concerned. I am happy to present myself for a free and fair investigation in accordance with the rule of law. Unfortunately, what we have seen in the last six months is manipulation, undermining and disregard to how rule of law should function," Bilawal said.
He said that NAB had been established for political engineering and victimisation. "We will rid the Constitution of the law amendment introduced by a dictator," he said. The PPP leader said, "this is a bipartisan issue. Unfortunately, we have not been able to capitalise on that." Answering another question, Bilawal said that NAB officers conducted themselves in a very professional manner and were doing what they were told. "They only questioned me for five minutes and then gave a questionnaire."
Bilawal strongly condemned the highhanded, 'dictatorial' and 'brutal action' of the government against the party workers. He said that arrested party workers should immediately be released. "I would like to salute the workers of PPP for their bravery and resilience, and demand their immediate release," he said.
He said he has neither given any protest call to workers nor requested anyone to be present at NAB office. "I received the NAB notice on Monday and did not have time to plan anything." "The PTI had made Islamabad hostage for over 100 days and sabotaged the visit of the Chinese president in the past but it cannot tolerate the peaceful protest of PPP workers for 30 minutes. Peaceful protest is a democratic right of every citizen," he said.
The PPP leader said that the party workers had arrived in front of NAB office just to express solidarity with their readership. He said if the arrested workers are not released then the party will devise a future strategy. The PPP chairman said that he was not even one year old when he was made a shareholder in the company mentioned in the case. "Since that day I have no involvement in this company," he claimed. He said that during the hearing of the case in an open court, the then Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had verbally said that he (Bilawal) was innocent in this case and asked who had directed to put his name in the JIT. But it was not mentioned in the written order, he said.
Bilawal said that this case has created a new local and international legal precedent. "This case is from Karachi. Bank accounts are from Karachi, alleged accused are from Karachi but I don't know why Rawalpindi becomes a platform for us," he said.
He said that he does not think this is a NAB case as it is concerned with private transactions and not public money. "The banking court was the appropriate forum. It is unfortunate NAB is being used like this," he said. About the issue of terrorism, the PPP chairman said that PTI government is giving a message that it is taking action against terrorists and extremists. "If the PTI government is serious in this regard then it should expel three ministers from the cabinet who have links with banned organisations."
The PPP chairman said that he has been demanding the formation of a national security committee, steps against banned organisations and the sacking of three ministers associated with banned organisations. He added that neither anyone would take the government seriously nor would anyone believe that National Action Plan (NAP) is being implemented unless the government does so.
"If they (PTI government and NAB) are so courageous then they should form a joint investigation team to probe terror financing and benami against Prime Minister Imran Khan and rigging in the General Elections 2018... Unfortunately, this is not happening," Bilawal said.
He said that the government doesn't tolerate constructive criticism. "I am warning if they continue to suppress dissent, they will be responsible for the consequences."