Government's economic policies: Aseefa to lead protest march if arrested, says Bilawal

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday warned the government if he was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari along with his party workers would carry on the march against government's economic policies, which had burdened the people of the country.

"If I am arrested by the NAB, which would be illegal, Aseefa will be my voice and the PPP workers will carry on with the march next month," he said, while talking to the media after appearing before the anti-graft body in the Joint Venture Opal case.

Bilawal said, "Our struggle will start in March and it could be in any form march, movement, conventions or seminars."

He said that he would like to tell Prime Minister Imran Khan, to beware of the march. Bilawal said that his party would not accept any budget dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

"We will tear it down and throw it away (the PTI-IMF budget)," he said, adding the people too would not accept it. Bilawal said that the prime minister had committed "economic murder" of the general public, the labourers, farmers, traders, and small shopkeepers of the country.

"After all this, he says peace is only in the grave," the PPP chairperson said. "The PPP will not accept the 'economic murder' of the people even for one more day," he said. Bilawal said that his party workers would not withdraw from their struggle despite all the threats and government pressure.

About his appearance before the NAB, he said that he appeared before the NAB despite his reservations as we believe in supremacy of the law of the land. Bilawal said that over a year ago, the Chief Justice of Pakistan had stated that the PPP chairperson was "innocent", even then he presented himself before the authorities thrice and had also answered the NAB's questions.

Bilawal said that the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the vice president of the Pakistan Bar Council have condemned through their statements my political victimization and harassment by the NAB. "I appreciate that the lawyers' community is standing by the rule of law and raising their voices against political victimization," he said.

The PPP chairperson said that he was summoned by the NAB, in May last year. They did not have any concerns from May till November, Bilawal said, adding suddenly a notice was sent to him on December 20th. He said that when his party announced the march against rising inflation and the PTI-IMF deal, the NAB sent him another notice on February 7th.

Bilawal said that everyone knew he had never been involved in any business. He said that even if he were involved, the NAB had no right to investigate a private transaction, which did not involve government's land or money. "At that time, I was not a public office holder then how can the NAB summon me again and again?" Bilawal asked.

He said that he was seven years old when he became a shareholder of that company. "I wrongly believed the NAB would not make a case against a child," Bilawal said. He said that he had a detailed discussion with the NAB team and they had handed him over a questionnaire.

About leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Bilawal said that he believed that the office of the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly was as important as leader of the house but unfortunately both were not present during proceedings on issues of national importance.

He expressed his hope that Shahbaz Sharif would soon return to the country. Earlier, Bilawal appeared before the NAB's Combined Investigation Team (CIT) in a case related to joint venture (JV) company Opal 255 and recorded his statement. The NAB has handed him over a questionnaire consisting of 32 questions.

Meanwhile, the city police had made strict security arrangements in and outside the NAB office and all routes leading towards the old NAB headquarters were blocked to stop possible entry of PPP workers inside the bureau's premises. Some of the PPP leaders and workers reached the NAB office and chanted slogans in favour of their leader.

According to the anti-graft watchdog, Bilawal has 25 percent shares in the private firm Opal-225, a joint venture of Zardari Group. As per NAB investigation into the subject matter that Bilawal was the CEO of M/s Zardari Group Private Limited (ZGPL) in year 2011 when ZGPL signed a purposed joint venture agreement on October 15, 2011 with M/s Bahria Town Private Limited (BTPL) Malik Riaz and received Rs1.22 billion from BTPL without consideration in account of ZGPL maintained at Summit Bank, Dolmen City Branch, Karachi.

In this regard, Bilawal submitted his reply on June 12, 2019 through his legal counsel and took the stance that due to his academic and political commitments and presence abroad had never attended or presided any meeting of the ZGPL; however the available record reveals that he was present in Pakistan according to the NAB.