Calling the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments, passed by the parliament and ratified by the Supreme Court yesterday, catastrophic for the country, former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan said on Saturday that in no country of the world parliamentarians had passed a bill just to protect their ill-gotten wealth, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Talking to the media at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, the former prime minister said a small elite holding the country hostage had been able to get a clean chit in corruption cases worth billions of rupees by virtue of these amendments. “These amendments are also against the constitution,” he said, adding, “Earlier, it was late General (r) Pervez Musharraf who had given these politicians a clean chit and then it was General (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa who allowed them to go off the hook. When I was the prime minister, it was Bajwa who controlled the NAB.”
He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had four flats in Mayfair, while Faryal Talpure, President Asif Ali Zardari’s sister, turned out to be the owner of five properties as per the Dubai leaks.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Zardari were acquitted in five and eight references, respectively,” he lamented.
PTI founder refuted reports that he had threatened a NAB official. “All I had said was that I would file a case against the bureau chairman as well as its investigation officer (IO) so that they do not become a tool in the hands of the government to victimize political opponents,” he clarified.
“Would anybody tell me, what is the fault of my wife who has been languishing in jail for the last seven months?” he questioned.
Imran further said that up till 2017, the NAB had succeeded in recovering Rs290 billion from these people. “And during three and half years of the PTI government, the bureau managed to recover Rs480 billion. Another Rs1100 billion had to be recovered, but before it could be done, the party government was sent home.”
He lamented that the country’s elite, which had been able to win acquittals in graft cases, lectured the nation to adopt simplicity and cut down their expenditures. “There are hundreds of prisoners at Adiala Jail who are still imprisoned because they cannot pay bail bonds or fines exceeding Rs50,000,” he said.
PTI founder said that while on the one hand, he wanted the NAB to be independent, on the other he was in favour of introducing a system of accountability within the department.
The former prime minister again said emphatically that he was born in this country and would die in this country, and had no plans to go abroad. “On the other hand, all other politicians have their assets overseas. And they will flee from the country whenever they find themselves in trouble.”
Imran disclosed that the government had requested him to postpone the party’s 22 August rally. “We were then assured that we would be allowed to hold the event on September 8. But even then, obstacles are being created in our way.”
He appealed to the masses to head towards Islamabad in large numbers for the public gathering tomorrow, saying it was a battle for real freedom.
Reporter: Irshad Qureshi