Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said that Imran Khan’s arrest was made in a graft case by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the government had nothing to do with it.
“. . . this is an arrest which is not motivated under any political victimization and not done at the behest of the government. It is the arrest made by the NAB, an independent institution that is supposed to look into the corruption cases committed in the country,” the minister said while talking to foreign media here.
He clarified that the arrest was made under an arrest warrant duly examined by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that declared the custody in line with the ‘proper legal procedures and lawful authority.’
But unfortunately, Ahsan Iqbal said, the response that was given by the followers of Imran Khan brought great embarrassment for him and the party. “The scenes that came on the media of loot and plunder are most deplorable because Mr Khan had been championing throughout his career that he stands for the rule of law. He (the PTI chairman) had been lecturing the people of Pakistan that what is the rule of law in the Western democracies.”
The minister said the PTI workers showed examples of the worst fascist response that was ever witnessed in the country’s history, adding “This is the worst kind of demagoguery and fascism that is being demonstrated by a leader whose rise to fame was sports. As a sportsman, he ought to be championing sportsman spirit, tolerance and respecting the rule of law.”
Contrary to it, he said, Imran Khan chose the path of spreading anarchy, chaos and destruction in the country only to protect himself from accountability.
The minister reminded that the PTI chairman said on a number of occasions that if there was any case against him, he would voluntarily present himself before the authorities for investigation.
“This case, in which Khan has been arrested by NAB, is a matter of graft, embezzlement and corruption of £160 million
(Approximately Rs 60 billion)
