LAHORE: The senior PML-N leadership on Saturday launched a tirade against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), asking whether it succeeded in changing the loyalties of political leaders it arrested.

The PML-N has also demanded disbandment of the NAB, saying that it will be more interested in its ‘permanent closure’ than being consulted by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government for bringing about any changes in its (NAB) law.

The PML-N also admitted NAB was “not right” during its regime but now it was being used for political victimisation.

“NAB is not going to be a ‘Tarzan’ (as predicted by Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid) but it is like a fox. Sheikh Rashid must clarify whether he is a de facto NAB chairman or its spokesperson,” PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal told a presser in Model Town here on Saturday.

Mr Iqbal said the NAB at the behest of Imran Khan was instituting ‘false’ cases against the PML-N leadership. An old Lal Sohanra case was now opened against Shahbaz Sharif after nothing established against him in other investigations. “Imran is mistaken if he thinks that he can cow down the opposition through such tactics. Imran has a fascist mindset,” he said, adding the NAB hearing against the PML-N leaders should be shown live.

He said NAB also opened an old case (income beyond means) against Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for not complying with the order [allegedly] issued by Imran Khan to not issue production order of opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz. He said why NAB was reluctant to go after those involved in sugar and wheat scam.

Former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq said the opposition was not consulted by the government over changes to NAB law. “But we are in favour of disbanding NAB which has been used for political victimisation.”

Former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique said through NAB the political narrative of PML-N could not be changed. He said if accountability was so fair then why NAB did not take action in BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), and Malam Jabba scams.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2020