The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Peshawar chapter on Thursday produced Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) leader Musa Khan before an accountability court and secured a six-day physical remand.

Khan, who is the emir of JUI-F's tehsil Paharpur chapter, is included in the inquiry of a case pertaining to assets beyond means.

According to his son Tariq — who is the personal secretary of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — Khan was arrested last night while he was travelling from Dera Ismail Khan to Peshawar, where he was meant to appear before NAB. Tariq said that the accountability watchdog had sent his father a questionnaire regarding the case and the latter was headed to Peshawar to submit his answers.

Khan will be presented before the accountability court on September 30.

In a statement issued on the arrest, JUI-F Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Haji Jaleel Jan termed Khan's arrest as "political revenge". He said that Khan was arrested while he was on his way to appear before NAB and asked: "What is the logic behind arresting a person who is cooperating?"

Jan said that NAB was "arresting people for their affiliation with opposition" figures.

"What message is being given by [Khan's] arrest at a time when NAB is inquiring Rehman?"

In a comment on summons issued for Rehman, Jan said that they had not received the notice yet. The party will decide whether Rehman will appear after it receives the notice.

The arrest comes two days after the NAB issued a summons for Rehman, directing him to appear before its investigation team next month in an inquiry launched on charges of corruption and possessing assets beyond means.

The notice, issued under Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, was sent to Rehman's residence in Dera Ismail Khel.

The call-up notice to Rehman was issued days after Fazl's JUI-F, along with other major opposition parties, held a multi-party conference where they announced launching of a three-phased anti-government movement under an “action plan” starting from next month with countrywide public meetings, protest demonstrations and rallies in December and a “decisive long march” towards Islamabad in January 2021.

PPP condemned the reports of NAB's summons for Rehman, and in a statement, quoted party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as saying: "Imran Khan is trying to pressurise opposition politicians through NAB."

The opposition routinely accuses the government of using NAB to witch hunt opposition members in the name of accountability. The government denies the allegations, saying the watchdog is independent and its chairman was appointed by the opposition PML-N and PPP themselves.

Last month, NAB's KP office had issued a similar notice to a younger brother of Rehman, who is an officer of the provincial government, directing him to appear before a CIT in an inquiry launched on multiple charges, including possessing illegal assets.