KARACHI, June 19: The Pakistan People’s Party on Sunday took strong exception to the Sindh chief minister’s allegation during the Saturday proceedings of the provincial assembly that “PPP leaders have links with underworld and terrorists”, and accused him of having been indulged in corruption and human trafficking.
It asked for an investigation against Dr Arbab by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro came hard on the chief minister while addressing a hurriedly called news conference in the Bilawal House on Sunday. He said that Dr Arbab’s remarks about Asif Ali Zardari’s illness were ‘deplorable and inappropriate’. The party would explore all aspects to put him on the mat, he added. “Only time will tell who has links with underworld and who has the plan to run away from the country,” he said accusing the chief minister of being involved in women trafficking.
He also slammed the chief minister for harming democratic dispensation, and in this context, referred to the bifurcation of PPP-dominated districts, arrest of sitting MPAs and doing nothing for the arrest of certain PPP leaders’ killers.
Mr Khuhro said the common refrain of the regime was on the so-called Swiss Case which was triggered by a letter of request sent by the federal government. Islamabad is participating as a civil party and driving the investigations through its team of highly expensive lawyers and consultants who have been paid millions of dollars, he claimed.
One significant point to note is that when the government suspended the functioning of the SGS-Cotecna, the firm had claimed damages as there was nothing wrong or dubious in the contract. The government not only paid the entire amount of damages, but also re-employed the SGS-Cotecna because of the firm’s good services. The firm still works for the government. If it was such a dubious contract, then why that company was paid the damages and why it was still engaged in Pakistan?
Addressing the chief minister as ‘Thakur Rahim’, Mr Khuhro asked him to explain whose front-man was the man, Rehmatullah Jhanjhi, and for whom he had purchased a palatial residence in Dubai. Jhanjhi, he claimed, had been given contracts, including that of the coal highway, involving hundreds of millions of rupees in Tharparkar.
Mr Khuhro also alleged that Tharparkar contractors Arbab Ghaffar, Arbab Taj Mohammad, Arbab Pir Bux and Guman Singh Sodho (son of Ram Singh Sodho, who is maternal cousin of the chief minister) had amassed millions of rupees.
“Thousands of acres of state land and the land belonging to poor people in Tharparkar have been occupied illegally by Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and his other family members. He is also practising the deplorable caste system and not allowing anyone to play any democratic role in the area.
Mr Khuhro further claimed that on the orders of the chief minister, MPA Arbab Abdullah had collected commissions from different officials of government departments.
Mr Khuhro distributed copy of a reference sent to the NAB chairman by Wali Mohammad Rahimoon pertaining to Dr Arbab’s links with Karim and Mohammad Ali since the days when Dr Arbab was just an MNA. In that reference, it was also alleged that Mr Karim and Mohammad Ali had recently purchased a diamond necklace for the second wife of the chief minister.
He also distributed a list of properties directly or indirectly linked to the chief minister.
Mr Khuhro hoped that the NAB would conduct investigation against the chief minister against whom a former cabinet minister had also provided a long list of corruption charges.
