Daily Times

Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz Friday lashed out at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the federal government as a team of the anti-graft watchdog raided the Sharif family residence to arrest him but failed to do so amid severe resistance by the private security guards deployed at 96-H, Model Town.

A press release issued by NAB said a team had gone to the Model Town residence to arrest Hamza Shehbaz on the basis of evidence available against him in the assets beyond means and money laundering case. The NAB officials were manhandled by Hamza Shehbaz’s guards, their clothes were torn and death threats were given, the press release claimed. “NAB officials went to the residence with an arrest warrant … the Supreme Court had stated that the accountability bureau does not require informing any accused prior to arresting him,” the press release said, and added that Hamza violated the law.

The bureau pledged to arrest the PML-N on the basis of evidence available against him and in the light of the Supreme Court directives.

Later taking to reporters outside his residence in Model Town, Hamza Shehbaz alleged that the NAB has destroyed the sanctity of his house by entering into it in a very unethical way. He said for the first time he felt like a terrorist as this was the type of action taken against him. He said the NAB has violated the decision of the court by such a shameful act and that he will challenge the move at every forum. He claimed that he appeared before the NAB whenever he got a notice despite reservations but still NAB raided his house as if he was a terrorist.

Criticising the government, Hamza said that Imran Khan politicised the severe health condition of his daughter who was hospitalised in London. “I came back from London one day before the expiry of permission granted to me to travel abroad by the court,” he said. He also endorsed the observation of the Council of Islamic Ideology in which it was said that the NAB humiliates the people. “It is evident that corruption of billions of rupees has been done in Peshawar metro bus project but the accused are roaming freely … the arrests are being made only of Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz,” he regretted.

Hamza said it is a clear direction of the court that he will be intimated 10 days prior to the arrest but the ruling has been violated by the NAB. “If Imran Khan wants to nab the thieves and plunderers, he should have a look at his own cabinet as he has failed to prove the corruption of even a single penny against the PML-N in last eight months,” he said.

PML-N leaders alleged that the raid was carried out without any warrant or prior notice. PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said Hamza along with Shehbaz Sharif and other members of the family were present at the residence when the raid was carried out by seven to eight personnel from NAB without any warning. “Under which law was this raid conducted without any prior notice? Are Hamza and Shehbaz terrorists?” she lashed out, adding, “The current government is afraid of Shehbaz and is using NAB to advance its own goals.” “NAB is resorting to conducting raids without a warrant after they failed to find even a penny’s worth of corruption against Shehbaz Sharif,” she stressed. Maryam said the raid was carried out on the directions of Imran Khan who has completely lost his senses. “Is NAB an institution of accountability or a group of thieves,” she asked.

A large number of PML-N workers and parliamentarians gathered outside the residence of Sharif family as the news regarding the raid went viral. They chanted slogans against the NAB and Prime Minister Imran Khan. “The government is using such tactics to divert the attention of the people from real issues including inflation and hike in gas and electricity prices,” MPA Samiullah Khan said, who was present on the occasion.

Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also strongly criticised the government over NAB raid. “The government is using cheap tactics to hide its own failures, but they cannot hide their failures with these cheap tactics,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, the NAB has recommended the inclusion of more names in the exit control list (ECL) in connection with an ongoing probe into different cases. A letter has reportedly been dispatched to the interior ministry by the anti-corruption watchdog seeking inclusion of former finance minister Miftah Ismail, Hamza Shehbaz and Salman Shehbaz in the list. The watchdog has also recommended putting Sindh Secretary Land Aftab Memon on the no-fly list over charges of his involvement in fake bank accounts case.

Earlier in the day, former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was put on the ECL. Reports said Abbasi’s name was included in the no-fly list following NAB request in relation to a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) contract scandal pending against the politician.

Separately, NAB Friday summoned PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on April 9 in the money laundering case. The watchdog directed Shehbaz to appear before the bureau with complete documents. The NAB has also asked Shehbaz to provide details of the property that he inherited from his father.