The National Accountability Bureau detained former president Asif Zardari after abolition of his pre-arrest bail by the Islamabad High Court in the bogus bank accounts case. A strong rejoinder by Pakistan Peoples Party workers in several parts of the country rose largely in the party-ruled Sindh province. The past president was shifted to NAB’s Rawalpindi office. The member NAB team arrived there to arrest him precisely at a time when the National Assembly was in session. The Islamabad High Court bench had also annulled the bail of Mr Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur, a multi – accused in the case, but she was not imprisoned as her warrants had not been issued.TV channels have demonstrate Mr Zardari accompanying the NAB officials after he was seen off by his daughter Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, son Mr Bhutto-Zardari accompanied with a number of senior party leaders and some workers accused party workers who had been able to reach the place though police and other law enforcement agencies had sealed off the enclosing area of Zardari House. Interior Minister retired brigadier Ijaz Shah and Foreign Minister Qureshi stated that the government had brushed off and disregarded with the arrest of the former president as the courts and NAB were working separately. The government had always maintained that accountability should be held across at all levels. The identical bench on March 28 had granted temporary bail to Mr Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and others in the case related to business of Rs150 million to their private company through reportedly false bank accounts. The case was recorded with the Federal Investigation Agency and was forwarded before a banking court in Karachi. NAB later transmitted this case to its Rawalpindi directorate.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari himself has been stating , to arrest on corruption charges, and that he was not scared of going to jail in the false accounts case produced against him by the National Accountability Bureau. The news of his arrest on shadowed the other major event of the Economic Survey of Pakistan that paints a bleak picture of the economy for the financial year 2018-19. The PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, who along with his son Hamza Sharif was captured by NAB the next day has faced identical action, took issue with the timing of the arrest saying it had been done to distract public attention from the “IMF prepared anti-people budget.”
NAB has taken the measure considering Zardari had been cooperating with the legal process, punctually appearing before the requisite courts whenever required. Bilawal held a press conference to show his anger raising innumerable problems right away or sideways related to the arrest declaring it a rejection of Article 10-A of the Constitution that guarantees the right to just trial to all citizens. NAB, moved only after the Islamabad High Court annulled Zardari’s pre-arrest bail, and turned down from taking into custody his sister Faryal Talpur, co-accused in the same case, in spite annulment of her bail because her arrest warrants were not issued till then. Both Zardari and his sister can go into appeal in the Supreme Court against the orders of the Islamabad and seek redress.
Zardari, has been detained even though NAB is yet to file a reference against him. The National Assembly speaker can now issue a production order to safeguard that he can attend the budget session. The National Accountability Bureau had initiated an inquiry it considers would connect him to certain false bank accounts used for money laundering. No doubt Mr Zardari had been fully cooperating with the NAB investigators. A large number of the governing party, comprising some ministers, are confronting NAB inquiries but have not been arrested. NAB also arrested Hamza Shahbaz, the leader of the opposition in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, in cases claiming money laundering and possession of assets beyond known means. The arrest of the two opposition parties may become closer to go with a joint anti-government struggle at a time when the government is presenting a budget with several harsh measures. Several political workers already were complaining of an economy crippled that has coincided with the introduction of new government.
The government has denied any place in the events, there was mention in the media about Prime Minister Imran Khan wanting some of these cases to be quickened. The government needed to show the public that things were proceeding speedily during its reign. The arrests of Asif Zardari, former president and PPP Co-Chairman, and Hamza Shehbaz, PML-N leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, have brought both criticism and commendation. Considering the fact that the MQM Altaf Hussain has been arrested on the accusation of raising anti-Pakistan slogans and trying to in his followers against the state; his arrest has been perceived for only being high importance. The condemnation aside, it cannot be dismissed that Prime Minister Imran Khan is trying to accomplish his promise to bring the plundered national wealth back to the country. These arrests seem to be the first substantial way towards this end. The arrested politicians will have full approach to the law of the land. In any case corruption should be approached with a firm hand as it is eating into the fundamentals of the nation.