Shehbaz's arrest not only regretful but also ridiculous: Nawaz

The ex-PM says Shehbaz Sharif as Punjab CM has set examples of public service and honesty

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif said not only the arrest of party president and ex-Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif was distressing but also hilarious.

Reacting to the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif in his first statement following his release from the Adiala Jail after Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended sentences of the ex-prime minister, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar in Avenfield reference, he said that everyone knows Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was responsible for this worst vicitimisation.

The PML-N supremo warned that PTI government should prepare itself for the treatment in the future what it is giving out to its political opponents because this is how the nature works.

The ex-PM said that Shehbaz Sharif as Punjab CM had set examples of public service and honesty.

Nawaz went on to say that not only the people of Pakistan but foreign governments and international institutions have acknowledged services rendered by the former Punjab CM for Pakistan.

Earlier, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif was arrested by the country s anti-graft body for his alleged involvement in two corruption cases after he appeared before an investigation team of the NAB in Lahore.

Shehbaz, 67, is the younger brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

He was arrested after he failed to satisfy the investigator for his alleged role in awarding contracts to his favourite firm in violations of rules in the Ashiana Housing scheme and Punjab Saaf Pani Company.

The Saaf Pani Company was established by the PML-N president during previous Punjab government to conceive, plan, design, execute and manage projects for the provision of safe drinking water in terms of both access and quality, to communities living in rural areas of the province.

Shehbaz s son-in-law Ali Imran Yousuf is also facing corruption inquiries in the same case. He has fled to the UK and the NAB has written to the interior ministry to bring him back from abroad through Interpol.

The opposition leader s son Hamza had also been probed by the NAB for presiding over the company s board of directors meetings many times to issue directions for award of contracts to favourite firms.

In July, Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar were sentenced to 11 years, eight years and one year, respectively, in prison in the Avenfield properties case related to the purchase of four luxury flats in London through corrupt practices.

But, the Islamabad High Court freed the trio on bail last month and suspended their sentence after they challenged the Avenfield verdict.

However, the Nawaz Sharif is facing two more corruption cases filed by the NAB on the Supreme Court s order following the Panama Papers scandal.

The Panama Papers case is about alleged money laundering by Sharif in the 1990s when he twice served as Pakistan s prime minister to purchase assets in London.