PML-N leaders on Tuesday questioned the merits of the judgement against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and claimed that the ongoing process of accountability in the country was discriminating against opposition leaders but favouring the government.
A day after Nawaz Sharif was handed seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, an assortment of PML-N leaders, at a press conference in Islamabad, took turns to criticise the verdict as well as the federal government.
“The first case in which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified, the crime ascertained was that he did not take salary from his son,” said former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal. “And this time the allegation levelled is that ‘since your son sent you money, therefore you stand disqualified’.
“Now I want to raise this question that in the Middle East up to 3.5 million Pakistanis remit money to their families, so would they be considered their business partners or co-owners? If any son sends money to his parents, will they be held guilty?
“Nawaz Sharif was ascertained the owner of that company simply on the basis that his son sent him money — a practice that is done by millions of Pakistanis.
“Similarly, the ongoing accountability process is basically a selected prime minister committing selected accountability. PML-N legislators are being arrested whereas the PTI and its allies, no matter how severe the allegations on them, they are free to do anything.”