KARACHI, Nov. 21: The Secretary General of Pakistan People’s Party Sindh, Nafees Siddiqui, on Monday warned government of strong resistance if any other “false case” is lodged against party chairperson Benazir Bhutto through NAB. “We have learnt through media that the NAB is going to file another false reference with political motives against Benazir Bhutto, which will be strongly resisted. Whole opposition believes that the NAB is not an impartial and neutral organization and it is solely wasting nation’s money,” he told a news conference at Press Club.

PPP Karachi President Rashid Rabbani, MPA Rafique Engineer and Deputy Secretary Information Waqar Mehdi were also present.

Nafees Siddiqui alleged that NAB had become “political arm-twisting organ” of the government, which was being used only to victimize opposition and strengthen the government as many sitting ministers, advisors and parliamentarians were not even being touched by it despite financial and administrative embezzlements.

He said in case of opposition members, NAB arrests the person before any formal complaint, case or reference while people in the government were roaming freely, indicating whenever government becomes weak, it uses NAB to strengthen itself.

PPP Sindh Secretary General further charged that many government functionaries and leaders of ruling part, including Ch Shujaat Hussain, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi and Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousuf were not even “touched” by the NAB despite getting debts of millions of rupees were written off.

He said PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto was facing all the cases, including money laundering case in Switzerland, so the government’s propaganda that she is not facing cases against her is wrong and baseless.

Expressing ARD, especially PPP, policy with regard to Nov. 19, 2005 donors’ conference, he said party thanks all the monetary institutions, agencies and the countries for generously donating for the aid of quake victims and asked government to refrain from taking political mileage from these donations.

On the occasion, he announced that central leadership of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) will meet in Karachi at his residence to discuss various issues, including deteriorating law and order situation in Sindh, detention of major opposition leaders, including Yousuf Raza Gillani and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.

Commenting on economy, he paid tributes to Governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr Ishrat Hussain for institutionalizing the banking sector in the country and said he was appointed by the former Premier Mian Nawaz Sharif so the credit goes to him instead of present government.

To a query, he said that the ARD would welcome Awami National Party (ANP) and other progressive political parties in the ARD and added that cooperation between the ARD and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for restoration of a true democracy would continue.—PPI