Ex-PM Gilani dares authorities to arrest him

Published
7

MULTAN: Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said he would not comply with unconstitutional procedures and dared the authorities to carry out his arrest wherever they wanted to, DawnNews reported.

Addressing a press conference in Multan, Gilani said if former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf would have been jailed for even at least a month, then he would have accepted that the country’s judiciary operated as an independent institution.

He was speaking in context of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which has sought assistance from the Multan police to send a second notice to the former prime minister for recording his statement in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam.

In the NICL scam, Gilani has been accused of illegally appointing Ayaz Khan Niazi as the company’s chairman in Feb 2009.

He has also been accused of issuing orders in 2011 for the transfer of former director general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, who was investigating the scam.

Speaking to reporters today, the former premier said NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry was himself a wanted man and questioned how the latter could summon him.

Gilani moreover said that although he had been ousted from the office of prime minister despite being elected in a democratic manner, thousands who had directly benefited from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) remained scot-free.

Gilani alleged that NAB had been questioning him with regard to Moonis Elahi’s role in the NICL scam. The former premier said Moonis, son of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, had been acquitted in the case but the NAB was trying to drag him.

Opinion

Editorial

Restructuring plans
Updated 10 Nov, 2026

Restructuring plans

It would be a much wiser move, politically speaking, to take up any debate on administrative restructuring again after the next general election.
Extreme heat
Updated 10 Nov, 2026

Extreme heat

Climate adaptation is yet to find a place in our agricultural policies.
Israel power struggle
10 Nov, 2026

Israel power struggle

A POWER struggle is emerging after last month’s elections in Israel resulted in no party securing the requisite...
Antalya agenda
Updated 09 Nov, 2026

Antalya agenda

For Pakistan, the priority should be to secure easier access to climate funds, more grants rather than debt-creating loans, and clear deadlines for financial contributions.
Beyond viewership
09 Nov, 2026

Beyond viewership

PAKISTAN has an enormous appetite for online content. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, it...
Rabid Modi
Updated 09 Nov, 2026

Rabid Modi

Modi’s silence throughout his reign of fear shows his endorsement of hate.