ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested PPP’s senior leader and former Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah from Islamabad in the assets beyond known sources case.

An investigation team of NAB Sukkur along with a NAB Rawalpindi team took Shah into custody at his Bani Gala residence and shifted him to the Rawalpindi bureau. He will be shifted to Sukkur under the transit remand.

According to a short press release issued here by the NAB, Khursheed Shah was arrested by NAB Sukkur and he will be presented before the Accountability Court Sukkur today for taking his physical remand.

NAB Sukkur had summoned him yesterday but he informed it through a letter that he would not be able to appear before the investigation team due to the ongoing National Assembly session.

The house staff told a private TV channel that over one and a half dozen NAB officials arrived at Shah’s house along with police. They neither allowed any discussion nor let the servants take out their mobile phones before they took the PPP leader away with them, they added.

NAB is investigating the PPP leader over hiding assets worth Rs500 billion, including petrol pumps, bungalows and hotels, in the name of others (benamidars) in different areas of Karachi and interior Sindh.

Last month, the regional bureau had written letters to Sindh finance department and Daddu district administration seeking details of assets and properties of Khursheed Shah and others in the assets beyond known sources and money laundering cases. NAB had also sought the property details of Shah’s two wives, daughters and sons until September 2, 2019.

NAB investigation team had also written a letter to Daddu deputy commissioner on August 27 directing him to furnish details of the assets and properties of Khursheed Shah and others, including his wives Bibi Talat and Bibi Gul Naz, daughters Bibi Urooj Shaher and Seerat Masroor, sons Syed Farukh Ahmed Shah and Syed Zareek Shah, his step daughter and son, and Syed Awais Qadir Shah s/o Abdul Qadir Shah and Syed Junaid Qadir Shah s/o Abdul Qadir Shah.

NAB arrested Khursheed Shah after verifying the details provided by the different departments of Sindh government. Sources said NAB Sukkur is also likely to arrest other members of Shah family who are allegedly involved in the case.

Reaction over arrest

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called a press conference in the wake of the arrest of Khursheed Shah, who is an MNA, a long-time PPP leader and a Zardari loyalist.

Senior party leader Sherry Rehman said Shah was held while the National Assembly session was underway without intimating the NA speaker.

She said that on the one hand we say that the law of jungle is prevailing in the world and cite Kashmir as its prime example; it looks as if something similar is happening in Pakistan too, she commented.

PPP leader and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called Shah’s arrest a “very wrong step” of PTI-led central government. He asked if Shah had run away from the country or he had refused to attend any inquiry against him.