ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties on Friday strongly criticised the arrest of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

They questioned why the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s president had been taken into custody just a few days before the by-elections scheduled to be held in 37 constituencies of national and provincial assemblies on Oct 14.

Some of the opposition leaders were of the view that like the previous practice the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was also using NAB as a tool to victimise opposition parties.

NAB earlier on Friday arrested Mr Sharif in the Rs14 billion Ashiyana-i-Iqbal Housing Society scam.

National Assembly session requisitioned to debate the matter

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah termed Mr Sharif’s arrest an insult to parliament. Expressing reservations over the arrest, he said Mr Sharif was cooperating with NAB in investigation into corruption cases against him.

Indirectly criticising the PTI government, Mr Shah said: “With such so-called accountability the face of those who raised slogans of justice and the rule of law has unveiled.”

Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali said the PML-N president’s arrest only just before the scheduled by-elections was “meaningful”. “There is a possibility of more arrests of opposition leaders before the by-polls,” he feared.

Mr Wali called for across-the-board accountability in the country, but said the government should avoid political victimisation and arm-twisting of opposition parties. It would not be beneficial for democracy and political system of the country by any means, he added.

Reacting over the arrest of Mr Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that it was the history of NAB that it was used to target political opponents. “NAB was formed by a dictator (former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf) and its main function is to target politicians,” he added.

He said it was for the first time since 1985 that a leader of the opposition had been into custody. “The arrest of Mr Sharif is a message for politicians,” he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition has requisitioned a session of the National Assembly. Under the Constitution, after the opposition’s requisition the NA speaker has to call a session of the assembly within 14 days.

Normally a session of the National Assembly is summoned by the president, but when it is requisitioned by the opposition it is called by the speaker.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2018