Do not want PTI's turn to face NAB: Saad Rafique
The former minister said that anti-graft agency could not produce any evidence against him
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Former railways minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique on Friday while declaring the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law as a "black law” predicted the arrest of a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Speaking on the floor of the Lower House of the Parliament, he said that the anti-graft watchdog officials asked him to give evidence against PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan.
“I am not one of those who want PTI’s turn to come next to face NAB,” the PML-N leader said.
The former minister said that anti-graft agency could not produce any evidence against him, adding that a close old friend of his was forced to turn into an approver.
Saad Rafique went on to say that the members of government would now be arrested to balance things. We do not want anyone to go behind the bars, he said and added the government should leave arresting opposition members.
“The process of declaring traitors and anarchists should be stopped,” he added.
The PML-N leader said: “Opposition and government must stop fighting each other and instead fight against challenges that the country is facing.”
Rafique also appealed the country’s judiciary and establishment to think with a cool mind for the betterment of the country.
He warned that the arrest of former president and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari would worsen the political tensions in the country.
Earlier, a team of the NAB and police escorted the member national assembly to Islamabad to attend the session of the Lower House of the Parliament. Opposition Leader in the House Shehbaz Sharif received Saad Rafique.
On December 20, NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had issued production orders of Khawaja Saad Rafique.
The production orders were issued under Rule 108 of 2007’s Rule of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly.
The rule states that the speaker or the head of a committee can issue production orders of a parliamentarian or member of the committee, who is under custody for a non-bailable offence, if his presence is considered necessary.
After the issuance of Rafique’s production orders, NAB requested the Lahore accountability court to grant transit remand so that the accused can be transferred to Islamabad to attend National Assembly session. The accountability court had accepted NAB’s appeal and granted a six-day transit remand till Dec 26.
The former federal minister is named in the Paragon Housing scam reference and is currently under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Lahore. He was arrested along with his brother Salman Rafique on Dec 11 for allegedly receiving millions of rupees as commission in the housing project scam.
