News Desk |
Over two dozen workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including two female MNAs, were taken into custody after a clash between the PPP workers and the law enforces of the twin cities just before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) quizzed the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in connection with the fake accounts case.
The media reported that PPP workers clashed with the law enforcers as the NAB quizzed the PPP chairman for roughly half-an-hour. Following the clash, two PPP female MNAs, Mussarat Rafiq Mahesar and Shazia Sobia, and at least 30 party workers were taken into custody.
This institution is for political revenge and engineering. In our case, we believe that the rule of law and standard precedence is not being used. Our right to a fair trial is being undermined
In the morning, PPP workers gathered at D-Chowk and outside the NAB headquarters to show support for Bilawal scuffled with police, who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them. The police officials said that some 30-35 party workers were arrested, including the MNAs.
NAB proceedings against Bilawal
Ahead of Bilawal’s appearance before NAB, the district administrations had beefed up the security in the twin cities, with roads leading to the NAB office closed to traffic, and law enforcement officials deployed around its premises as well as at D-Chow in the capital. Police used water cannons to disperse PPP workers and stop them from moving towards NAB headquarters. Police baton-charged workers at several places and made arrests.
Read more: Bilawal-Maryam meet-up: Will Imran Khan sign a NRO after Eid?
Earlier this week, the capital administration had issued a notification directing the home secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to ensure that political workers were prevented from entering the Islamabad Capital Territory.
PPP’s general secretary Nayyar Bukhari condemned the notification, which stated that the gathering of PPP workers “may end up creating law and order situation”. After Bilawal’s appearance and party workers’ clash with the law enforces, the other senior party leaders, Sherry Rehman and Farhatullah Babar, said that water cannons, shelling, and violence were used against “peaceful” party workers. Rehman said that a water cannon was also used on her.
NAB quizzes Bilawal in fake accounts case
Meanwhile, a combined investigation team headed by the NAB Rawalpindi Director General Irfan Naeem Mangi quizzed PPP Chairman about the JV Opal case for about 30 minutes.
Bilawal, as per the reports, denied any connection to the allegations made by the bureau. Later, the PPP chairman was given a questionnaire and asked to submit his response within 10 days. On March 20, Bilawal had appeared before NAB to answer questions pertaining to his alleged involvement in three corruption cases.
The person who attacked Parliament, PM House, PTV and paralyzed Islamabad for four months could not tolerate a small protest because he is scared
Bilawal while condemning police action against his party workers and arrest of two MNAs said he was interviewed for roughly 20 minutes. “The company about which I am being questioned, I was made a shareholder of that company when I was in school,” he said. He added that he was made an office bearer of the company when Asif Ali Zardari became president.
Read more: Bilawal Bhutto calls PM Imran ‘incompetent, unskilled’
He reiterated PPP’s belief that Musharraf-made NAB law was a black law. “This institution is for political revenge and engineering. In our case, we believe that the rule of law and standard precedence is not being used. Our right to a fair trial is being undermined,” he said.
“I have not been involved in day-to-day business activity which is why NAB gave me a questioner which I will answer after consulting my lawyer,” he said.
Maryam condemns assault of PPP workers
Interestingly, as the news of the clash between the PPP workers and law enforces emerged, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif took to the Twitter to condemn the assault of PPP workers.
پارلیمنٹ ، وزیراعظم ھاوس اور پی ٹی وی پر حملہ کرکے دارالحکومت کو چار ماہ تک مفلوج رکھنے والا دھرنا گرد
ایک دن کے لیئے چھوٹا سا احتجاج برداشت نہیں کر سکا کیونکہ ڈرتا ہے نا، چور دروازے سے آیا ہے! 10 ماہ میں یہ حال ہو گیا ووٹ چوروں کا!
PPP کے سیاسی کارکنوں پر تشدد قابل مزمت ہے ۔— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 29, 2019
“The person who attacked Parliament, PM House, PTV and paralyzed Islamabad for four months could not tolerate a small protest because he is scared,” Maryam tweeted in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Imran Khan and his 126-day long sit-in in the capital in 2014.
Firdous questions Maryam’s silence on Model Town incident
Meanwhile, the Advisor to the PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said that those who patronized Gullu Butts when they were ruled the country should not give lectures and sermons to others.
While questioning Maryam’s silence over Model Town incident, the PM’s advisor said Maryam should have issued such statements after Model Town incident. Awan said that there will be no concession on the accountability process, saying those who were facing NAB cases should focus on answering the questions posed by the accountability watchdog.