Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah Saturday appealed to the Supreme Court and high court to take notice of decision taken by an accountability court in the Ali Nawaz Shah case. He said PPP leader who was a trusted lieutenant of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto was implicated in a fake case. Addressing a press conference at PPP Media Cell along with Senator Saeed Ghani, Shah said that Ali Nawaz even refused to get facilities under the NRO and called for pursuing his case but now he is being put behind bars.
Elaborating, Khursheed Shah said the WAPDA needed the land of Ali Nawaz Shah and initially offered him Rs 8 million for his 13 acres of land but he refused to take such a huge amount and asked them to lower it on which the WAPDA officials got angry and offered only Rs 5 lakhs for the land which he accepted in protest.
"Later, Shah Sahib went to court and the senior civil judge directed WAPDA to give Rs 2.1 million to him for the land," he said, adding that the decision on the case was also upheld by the additional sessions judge when WAPDA went into appeal. He said even the Supreme Court of Pakistan permitted him to take part in 2008 general elections saying that the case does not come under plea bargain.
Expressing another reservation over the NAB decision, Shah said out of 56 people nominated in the case, only five were sent behind bars, who only owe Rs 1.5 million. "This is sheer injustice and if the NAB court will give such decision, people's trust on these institutions will be lost," he said, adding that it was nothing but political victimization and now people have no trust in the NAB. He, however, showed his complete confidence on the judiciary saying that they had filed a case in the high court and were hopeful of getting justice from there.
"The nation can only progress when courts provide justice and are demolished if this practice is not followed," he said. About PPP reaction in case of further arrests of their leaders, Shah said PPP was the only party that fought against dictatorships and would once again face it if politically victimised. He lashed out at media for publishing stories without investigating saying that his press conference was aimed at providing correct information to media.
He also brushed aside the perception that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Shareef was gaining popularity as compared to politicians and banners were seen praising him. Shah said that Raheel Shareef was the army chief of the country and if people were praising him due to heroics of our armed forces during 1965 war no one should raise hue and cry over it.