PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government of using the National Accountability Bureau against its leadership and demanded of the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the prevailing situation and ensure across-the-board accountability to remove the grievances of opposition leaders against the accountability bodies.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, PPP women wing provincial president MPA Nighat Orakzai and provincial deputy secretary information Gohar Inqilabi claimed that the PPP leadership had always faced baseless cases and media trials, but never succumbed to any pressure.

They criticised the political victimisation of the party’s central leadership and called for across-the-broad accountability to remove the perception that targeted accountability was underway.

Alleges PTI govt using NAB against its leadership

They said that accountability should not be restricted to a single party or personality otherwise the people would start talking against the relevant institutions. “What kind of sin has been committed by our leaders that they are victimised,” Ms Orakzai asked and said that her party did not expect justice from any institution in the country.

The woman lawmaker said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan had accumulated billions of rupees, but she was not summoned by NAB nor a joint investigation team was formed to interrogate her.

She appealed to the superior judiciary to take action against the people who were maligning politicians.

The PPP women wing leader said that NAB should also initiate inquiry against PTI leader Jehangir Khan Tareen and his son Ali Tareen who became owner of a PSL team by investing a huge amount of money.

She claimed that the accountability process was the result of PPP leaders’ clear stand to defend the 18th constitutional amendment. She said that they were ready to face the consequences, but would not compromise on principles.

Mr Inqilabi said that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had been imprisoned for 11 years and courts exonerated him of all charges, but those involved in framing the cases were yet to be awarded punishment.

He said if the one-sided accountability was not stopped forthwith the PPP workers would have the only option to start agitation. He said that PPP believed in a strong federation.

Mr Inqilabi said that the country was facing serious problems, but no one was there to focus on resolution of the public issues. He claimed that the PTI government was not capable of resolving the core issues in the country and thus unrest among people was increasing.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2018