Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Adviser on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar stepped down from the office on Monday, without giving a reason for his resignation.

According to sources, PTI spokespersons Monday held a meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss Shahzad Akbar’s resignation. The prime minister, while accepting the resignation, avoided talking about the situation but briefly said “Shahzad Akbar was unable to deliver and his job was to do something else”. The ex-advisor hoped that in line with PTI’s manifesto, the PTI-led government would continue the accountability process under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s leadership.

“I have tendered my resignation to the PM as Advisor. I sincerely hope the process of accountability continues under [the] leadership of PM IK as per PTI’s manifesto. I will remain associated with party [and] keep contributing as member of legal fraternity,” Akbar said.

A former deputy prosecutor for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Akbar was appointed as the special assistant to the prime minister on accountability in August 2018. Later, in December 2019, he was also given an additional portfolio of adviser to the prime minister on interior affairs.

In July 2020, the barrister was promoted to adviser to the prime minister on accountability and interior with the status of a federal minister.

Responding to the development, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry applauded Akbar for his services and said it was not an easy task to go against “mafias”.

“You worked under tremendous pressure, it was never easy to take on mafias but way you worked and handled cases is admirable, more important work is now awaiting you Inshallah,” Chaudhry added. Commenting on the development, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill wished Shahzad Akbar the best for his new journey after he resigned from his position.

He said that Akbar has decided to dedicate more time as a legal advocate and will continue to participate in the party matters.

He is the founder, legal director and a trustee of the Foundation for Fundamental Rights, an organisation that works “towards the advancement, protection and enforcement of fundamental human rights”. Akbar, who played a key role in the Panama Papers leak-related money laundering cases in which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was convicted, had been tasked with bringing the PML-N supremo back to Pakistan and pursuing the various corruption cases against opposition leaders. He was also the chairman of the Asset Recovery Unit that was formed in 2018 to suggest ways and legal means to bring back looted money stashed abroad as well as probe properties owned by Pakistanis in foreign countries. Meanwhile, PML-N leader Mohammad Zubair lashed out at Akbar, saying: “After messing up and wasting national resources, here comes the resignation.

“We always knew he will fail. Jumping the ship at the right moment, Shahzad Akbar has proven to be a smart person. There were no open and shut cases – that was all made up so that Imran Khan could get in power,” he claimed.