Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Wednesday asked Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership to apologise over the incident of attack by its party workers on policemen and media during their appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation team.

In a statement, the minister said four policemen and reportedly two cameramen were injured as a result of attack by the PPP workers. He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari were called for investigation by NAB. On the occasion, about 500 workers of PPP gathered and a few dozen of them attacked police which is unfortunate, he added. “You want to say as to how anybody dared to summon you for investigation and then you call your people to attack. This attitude is no different from the behavior of proscribed organizations on which the National Action Plan is being enforced,” he remarked.

The minister said monopoly over violence is the ‘right of the state only’ and it is unfortunate to object when a person is called for investigation. In consequence, the concepts of constitution and law are negated, he observed.

“Bilawal was speaking like he was addressing a gathering of millions,” he said, adding that the few people who came attacked the police which acted with patience and restraint and tried to tackle the situation impartially. He said the state will fulfill its responsibility if a certain line is crossed. “We want conciliation but it does not mean that the process of accountability should be stopped. The process of accountability will continue and people will have to face cases. It is not possible that few people gather and try to influence an investigation,” he added.

Later in a tweet, the minister said the interior ministry has been given orders that persons not involved in attack on police should be released. However, the persons who attacked the police will not be released, he clarified, and added that the acts of violence for the sake of saving oneself from investigation are condemnable.

Fawad said the attitude of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari is an example of theft and then display of stubbornness. He said the second phase of ‘corruption olympics’ has started. Referring to PPP, he said the whole party came to greet their leaders in five tongas.