Daily Times

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday the law should be let take its course and legal matters should not be settled on roads, warning that nobody would be allowed to damage public or private property.

Talking to the media, he said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was arrested as per law by executing the arrest warrants issued by the National Accountability chairman. He said a seven-member medical board had examined Imran Khan, who would be produced before the court to seek his remand. It was up to the court to either reject or accept the request for the remand and also to determine the remand period. As regards the reports of protests by the PTI supporters in various parts of the country, Azam Tarar said holding protests was a fundamental right of citizens, but civilized nations kept the same peaceful. He urged the people to keep their conduct as per law and the Constitution. The Law Minister said Imran Khan’s arrest was not unlawful confinement while on the contrary, the opposition leaders during his government tenure faced the worst kind of political vindictiveness.

He said during the PTI rule, opposition leaders were arrested in one case and prosecuted in another one.

The minister said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led coalition government had nothing to do with NAB. It had not interfered in its affairs rather it had streamlined the NAB laws to safeguard the rights of accused persons, he added. Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interior and Legal Affairs Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case, the biggest corruption case in the history of Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the PTI chief indulged in corruption and corrupt practice during his government, besides misuse of power and his arrest was not a surprise move rather it was the result of months-long investigations by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Atta Tarar claimed that Imran Khan used his influential position to retrieve 190 million pounds for a property tycoon, which was confiscated by the British National Crime Agency on money laundering charges. In return, the property tycoon gifted the state-owned land of 458 kanals to the Al-Qadir Trust. The trust deed of Al-Qadir Trust had the signatures of Zulfi Bukhari, Babar Awan, Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan, he added.

He further claimed that Imran Khan should have been arrested a long time ago for his involvement in corruption in the Al-Qadir Trust case and selling gifts stolen from the Toshakhana. The SAPM expressed his doubts about the nature of the social services rendered by the Al-Qadir Trust, which received a total of Rs 180 million in its different accounts, in addition to the precious land transferred in its name. There was a nexus among the persons sitting in the Prime Minister’s House at that time, who established a bogus trust to launder money and in return get hundreds of kanals of land from the property tycoon.

He accused Imran Khan of ignoring various NAB notices served to him in the Al-Qadir Trust case and not cooperating with the anti-graft institution. On the contrary, he said, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawas leaders had to visit courts and relevant offices multiple times for investigation into the fake cases instituted against them. Responding to a question, Atta Tarar confirmed that Malik Riaz was the property tycoon referred to by him in the press conference. NAB served notices to Malik Riaz and the PTI leaders, including Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, but none of them showed up for investigations, he added.