ISLAMABAD: Three members of the federal cabinet on Wednesday rejected the claim of the PML-N that Khawaja Asif had been arrested on the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that nobody was above the law but the leaders of opposition parties were shying away from accountability process.

As the war of words continues between the opposition and the government, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qure­shi said everyone was held accountable in respectable societies the world over.

“Opposition leaders should produce their money trails to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) instead of playing the card of political victimisation,” he said while referring to the arrest of Khawaja Asif.

Mr Qureshi was speaking at a press conference along with Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan.

“Whenever NAB acts, it is called political victimisation,” Mr Qureshi said. “Khawaja Asif [was arrested because he] could not satisfy NAB over the allegations of money laundering and possessing assets beyond means.”

No one is above law, but opposition leaders are shying away from accountability, says FM

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan did not declare himself above the law when he was asked to explain his assets rather he produced decades-old documentary evidence in his defence.

The opposition leaders should also follow the same course and provide the money trail, the foreign minister said.

“Now we understand why they (opposition) wanted to amend NAB laws. They had told us that if NAB laws were relaxed then the opposition would hold talks with us,” he said.

“Following the arrest of Mr Asif, it has become clear why the opposition was linking its support to FATF legislation with the abolition of 34 or 38 clauses of NAB law.”

He said things were getting exposed with the cases of money laundering against the opposition leaders and that was why they were seeking National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

The foreign minister said that instead of hurling allegations, the opposition leaders should come up with evidence to nullify NAB’s allegations.

Responding to the allegations by the opposition that NAB is being used for political witch-hunting, he said the bure­­au was an independent institution which was not answerable to the government.

“PTI leadership had nothing to do with the appointment of NAB chairman. All senior officials in the bureau were appointed by the PPP and PML-N governments,” he said.

Resignations

Mr Qureshi said seriousness of the PML-N regarding resignation of its lawmakers was exposed when the National Assembly speaker called two of its legislators to verify their resignations submitted with the NA Secretariat, but they refused to appear.

He said the government was ready to talk to the opposition at the parliamentary forum, but not on an NRO and NAB law. He made it clear that Prime Minister Imran Khan would not resign by January 31 as demanded by the opposition.

Mr Qureshi said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had been shattered following the decision the PPP made on Tuesday.

He asked the PPP if it wanted to quit assemblies, why it had decided to take part in by-elections and Senate polls.

“Similarly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman is asking others to resign from assemblies but he should ask his son and brother to do so in the first place,” Mr Qureshi said. “They (opposition parties) are just giving false hopes to the people.”

He said the decisions made by the Pakistan Peoples Party a day earlier had produced cracks in the PDM.

“The fact is that the PPP is unwilling to sacrifice their government in Sindh. They would never resign, otherwise they would not have decided to take part in by-polls,” he added.

Shibli Faraz said the dream of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Maulana Fazl to destabilise the government had been shattered by the bouncer of the PPP.

He said the previous rulers had used the national institutions for their personal interests and looted the national wealth with their help and facilitation.

Senator Faraz said the opposition parties had requisitioned the Senate session with a six-point agenda, and they were actually trying to misuse the upper house of parliament to avoid accountability for their past misdeeds.

“But the nation will see that they will not succeed and we will ask questions regarding corruption committed by their leadership,” he added.

“Everyone is bound to answer questions raised by courts or any other relevant institution about their wrongdoings,” he remarked.

Dr Babar Awan alleged that the opposition leaders had used the iqama facility for money laundering and securing their investments made from ill-gotten money.

“Iqama is a residency permit obtained by those who work in Gulf states. Why do these political leaders need an iqama when they live here and do not work in those countries,” Dr Awan said, adding that money earned through illegal means was sent abroad and then part of it was brought back to the country as investment.

Mr Awan said Pakistan was an “unfortunate country” from where billions were stolen and stashed abroad.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2020