LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has called for resignation of Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi for implicating former law minister Rana Sanaullah ‘in a false narcotics case’.

“Shehryar Afridi used to say that he had to return to Allah on the issue of instituting a fake case against Mr Sanaullah. But after the bail of the Punjab PML-N president [by the Lahore High Court], Mr Afridi should resign forthwith as his and his leader Imran Khan’s design in this respect has been exposed,” PML-N information secretary Mar­ri­yum Aurangzeb told reporters after a cake cutting ceremony on the birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and birthday of former premier Nawaz Sharif at the party’s Model Town Secretariat here on Wednesday.

She said that when the government failed to implicate Mr Sanaullah in the income-beyond-means case, it entangled him in a heroine case. “Shehryar Afridi lied in and outside the parliament and used the name of religion in this case.”

Marriyum says govt during its 15-month term has only arrested political rivals in false cases

She said the PTI government during its 15-month term had only arrested its political rivals in false cases to show its performance. “On every other front the government’s performance is zero that is why it is only targeting the opposition and sending its leaders behind bars in fake cases,” she said.

The former information minister said National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman retired justice Javed Iqbal was a “tool of the selected prime minister”. She alleged that now NAB was “kidnapping” the opposition leaders.

“When it comes to presenting proof in courts, NAB runs away. This proves the innocence of the detained political leaders,” she said.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said PM Khan had stopped NAB investigation against himself in misuse of helicopter of the KP government, Malam Jabba, Billion Tree Tsunami and BRT projects.

Another PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said Shehryar Afridi had taken a U-turn on the video evidence against Rana Sanaullah like his leader Imran Khan. “To hide one lie Mr Afridi tells another in this case. Now he should resign instead of keep lying,” he demanded and advised Mr Afridi to better seek pardon from God for using the name of religion to cover up his lies.

Meanwhile, the PPP scoffed at Shehryar Afridi’s complaint over his ‘media trial’ for uttering the phrase in Rana Sanaullah’s case.

“Those who have been taking pleasure over media trial of political rivals are now complaining of media trial,” wonders Punjab PPP information secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza.

Responding to Mr Afridi’s press conference, he said here on Wed­nesday that the minister was unhappy over being ridiculed, forgetting his [Afridi’s] own use of bad language against political rivals.

Mr Murtaza advised the minister to provide the court evidence against Rana Sanaullah instead of lecturing against the incarcerated opposition leader.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019