ISLAMABAD - Senior Pakistan People’s Party leader Syed Khurshid Shah Sunday said that it would take a lot of courage to arrest PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Speaking to journalists here, Shah said that Bilawal’s arrest would push the country into chaos which would prove ‘dangerous’ for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government.
Last week, the federal cabinet placed 172 people including former President Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP leader Faryal Talpur and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Exit Control List for alleged money-laundering and holding fake accounts. The travel ban has been imposed on all the people mentioned in the Joint Investigation Team report in the said cases.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Zardari and other accused were not taking the JIT report submitted in the Supreme Court seriously so the government had taken serious steps. The cabinet meeting has expressed resolve that accountability process would continue without any discrimination to purge the country of the menace of corruption, said the minister.
On December 24, the JIT, formed on the apex court’s orders to probe into the alleged money-laundering case, presented its 128-page final report to the court which included recommendations for filing 16 NAB references.
Khurshid Shah said that Bilawal’s arrest would create unrest across the country. “I don’t think they will arrest Bilawal but we can’t say anything about this government,” he added.
The PPP leader said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was triggering uncertainty and political crisis. “The PM has done nothing accept arresting politicians,” he remarked.
The PPP leader said that in-house change in Sindh was not needed as all the cases against Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had been made on the bases of assumptions.
He maintained that it was not possible to impose governor’s rule in the province. “There is no place for it in the constitution. Governor Rule can only be imposed through martial law,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari demanded the resignation of Sindh Chief Minister Sayed Murad Ali Shah.
In a social media message, Zulfi Bukhari wrote, “While only land grabbers/thieves/mafia come to Zardari Cartel’s rescue, a new low was reached by Murad Ali Shah when held accountable for his corruption. Shame on him for being a blind servant trying to justify his loyalty by stooping so low”, he wrote.
In another tweet he said, “His own family name. Before acting worse than scum defending Zardari-the criminal who’s own wife had disowned him and resorting to personal attacks, he should think if the same was reciprocated. Resignation should be the least of his options.”
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Grand Democratic Alliance have also demanded Sindh CM Murad’s resignation.