'Cannot suppress us by clever tactics,' Nawaz Sharif tells govt after brother’s arrest

LONDON – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif hit out at Imran Khan-led government following the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). 

The former prime minister, who is active in politics since the APC has taken place, in a tweet said that the “puppet government” has validated the APC resolution by arresting the leader of the opposition. 

Shehbaz Sharif had said earlier that APC decisions will be implemented whether he is in jail or not, Nawaz said. 

آج شہباز شریف کو گرفتار کر کے اس کٹھ پتلی نظام نے APC کی قرارداد کی توثیق کی ہے۔ شہباز شریف نے پہلے ہی کہہ دیا تھا کہ وہ جیل کے اندر ہوں یا باہر، APC میں کئیے گئے تمام فیصلوں پر عمل درآمد ہو گا۔ کوئی اس غلط فہمی میں نہ رہے کہ ایسے اوچھے ہتھکنڈوں سے ہمیں جھکایا جا سکتا ہے۔

— Nawaz Sharif (@NawazSharifMNS) September 28, 2020

He added that no one should be under misconception that opposition can be suppressed by such tactics. 

Earlier today, Maryam Nawaz Sharif lashed out at the country's establishment and the ruling party, PTI, for "a poor state of accountability and justice in the country" hours after the party's president Shehbaz Sharif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Flanked by Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah at a press conference in Lahore, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said "Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa and his family would have been in jail instead of Shehbaz Sharif if justice done in the country.”

Drawing a comparison between the controversy about the family business of CPEC Authority's chief and her uncle's case that includes charges of money laundering, she hit out at the PTI government for not taking any action against the former Army officer for allegedly having “illegal assets” abroad.

"It is a very sad day" because the opposition leader (her uncle) is arrested again," Maryam regretted.

“Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest is the result of NAB-Niazi nexus,” she asserted, while claiming that the judiciary and the media are being pressurised.  

Shehbaz, who is Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, was arrested after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail plea in a money laundering case.

Maryam said the only reason Shehbaz was arrested was that he "has not left his brother's side".