ISLAMABAD, May 12 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday said in a categorical term that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would continue serving the country as head of the state as the Parliament firmly stood by him.
Talking to a private television, she said staging a protest was a political and democratic right of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and accordingly, the political parties would present their point of view outside the Supreme Court premises.
The minister regretted that a thief [PTI chief Imran Khan] was apprehended by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) under a lawful arrest-warrant, as was declared by the Islamabad High Court, and secured his physical remand in a Rs 60 billion graft case, had been set free.
She said the accused had not only been granted interim bail in the mega corruption case but also in all other pending cases in one go, which happened for the first time in the legal history of the country.
Marriyum Aurangez said it was extremely deplorable that following the arrest of Imran Khan, the violent PTI workers ransacked public and private properties, attacked security departments’ premises, put on fire schools and hospitals besides burning livestock in a locality.
She said there were proof that the law and order situation was created by Imran Khan under a well-worked-out nefarious design to cause a serious dent to the country.
She vowed that all the elements, found involved in subversive activities, would be brought to the task.
Responding to a question, the minister said had the government any plan to arrest Imran Khan to victimize him, the NAB would not have waited for 14 months.
To a question she said, the government had nothing to do with the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan. “Imran Khan was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and if the government had to arrest him, they would not have waited for 14 months,” the minister said.
She recalled the PTI government’s fascist tenure when Imran Khan himself spearheaded plans to victimize political opponents.
“The then Advisor of Imran Khan on Accountability Shahzad Akbar used to disclose names of political leadership of other parties in media before their arrest,” she said.
The Minister said that NAB sent a call of notices to Imran Khan after conducting investigation in a corruption case of Rs 60 billion. “Being an office holder, he has to answer for Rs. 60 billion corruption in an open and shut case,” she added.
The Minister said the NAB arrested Imran Khan during an investigation.
She said the government provided assistance to NAB on its request and as per the law.
The minister said, it was happening for the first time in the legal history of the country that a person [Imran Khan], who was detained under a lawful arrest warrant and subsequent physical remand in a Rs 60 billion graft case, had been given interim bail in all other cases in one go.
She said that Islamabad High Court had granted blanket relief to Imran Khan and directed the government not to arrest him in any case.
To a question, the federal information minister said that the government did not believe in political revenge and victimization. She said, that Nawaz Sharif and his family had given money trail of 40 years.
“Not a single penny of corruption had been proven against the family of Nawaz Sharif” she added.
The Minister said Imran Khan has said that if he was arrested again, the same reaction will come from the public.
She alleged that PTI had deployed its people at various points to attack public and private places. “It was all done under a plan” she added.
She paid tribute to police and law enforcement agencies for showing restraint against the miscreants. “It was decided not to use force against PTI workers as they are citizens of Pakistan” she added.
She said that PTI workers burnt ambulances, schools public and private buildings.
She said that Federal Cabinet called for no leniency against those involved in the organized violence against the state, Constitution and law, besides hurting the nation’s dignity, following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in a corruption case on May 9.
She said the state had three pillars including Parliament, government and Judiciary and establishing the writ of the state was not responsibility of the government alone.
The minister said that action was being taken against those who took the law into their hands in the last three days.
To question, she said, that holding an election was the responsibility of the election commission of Pakistan, not the government.
The Federal Information Minister said that Imran Khan made false cases against political leaders during his time and even had installed video cameras in NAB cells.
She said that Imran Khan had ordered not to provide a chair to Shehbaz Sharif for offering prayer.
To a question, she said that her party used to hold a peaceful protest against the government of Imran Khan. “We will have a peaceful protest outside the Supreme Court as this is our political right” she added.
The Minister of Information said that for the last three days, Imran Khan kept talking about martial law in the country and even repeated the same in the court.
She said that Imran Khan knew nothing about the martial law.
The minister said, that Imran Khan and his wife were trustees of Al-Qadir Trust and both were accused of corruption of Rs. 60 billion and Imran Khan would have to answer.
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