Sheikh Rashid accuses govt of using NAB as a weapon against its opponents

Says the elite making appointments in anti-graft body are corrupt

RAWALPINDI (Web Desk) – The people, who came into power on the basis of an anti-NAB narrative, had made the same NAB their weapon, said Sheikh Rashid – Awami Muslim League chief – on Wednesday. 

In his latest tweet, Rashid said the government used President Arif Alvi’s absence from the country to their advantage – a reference to the ordinance issued by acting President Sadiq Sanjrani to amend the NAB law.

نیب کے خلاف بیانیہ بنا کے اقتدار میں آنے والوں نے نیب کو ہی اپنا ہتھیار بنالیا حکومت نےصدر کے حج پر جانے کا بھی پورا فائدہ اٹھایا یہ اپنے سیاسی مخالفین کو کچلنے کے لیے رات کی تاریکی میں ہمیشہ کالےقانون بناتے ہیں بعد میں خود اُس میں پھنس جاتے ہیں قومی اسمبلی کا اجلاس چل رہا تھا…

— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) July 5, 2023

“They first introduce black laws in the darkness of night to crush their opponents. Later, they fall in the same trap,” remarked the seasoned politician. He hoped that the Supreme Court would announce its judgement on the NAB case. 

However, he also said the NAB could not root out corruption from the country during the past 24 years because the elite making appointments in the anti-graft body was corrupt.

According to Rashid, the National Assembly session was prorogued so that the government could issue the ordinance through the acting president.

He also noted that the IMF deal did not mean the threats faced by Pakistan’s economy had vanished and added that there was only pain, not any relief, for the people as raising the gas and power tariffs would trigger more inflation. 

The decline in the dollar exchange rate was temporary for a week and would be again propelled to the previous level, Rashid said. He said those celebrating the agreement by accepting the IMF conditions should be ashamed of themselves.