Imran Khan has no authority to give NRO: Asif Zardari

Dunya News

Asif Zardari said the anti-graft watchdog treat him with respect.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Former president and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan doesn’t have authority to give National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Talking to media in Islamabad on Friday, he said that there were no chance of entering an alliance with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as Imran Khan didn’t come into power through political power, adding that he don’t value democracy.

The PPP co-chairman said that the prime minister doesn’t have sense of problems being faced by the masses.

He said: “PM Imran doesn’t have the authority to give NRO to anyone, adding that the reports regarding the arrest of Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah are just rumours.

To a question, Asif Zardari said the anti-graft watchdog treat him with respect and he also respect the NAB officials.

Earlier today, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said a VIP prisoner indirectly asked for National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the National Assembly and said the process of accountability should stop.

“No one can escape punishment. This law applies to everyone. This is Imran Khan’s Naya Pakistan,” Awan said.

She further said: “It was the prime minister’s determination to start the process of accountability from the powerful and it is a win for the prime minister that the powerful are in the hands of law.”

ZARDARI’S REMAND EXTENDED

Earlier today, the accountability court in Islamabad extended physical remand of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for another 11 days in fake bank accounts case. .

On June 10, Asif Ali Zardari had surrendered himself to a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected his and his sister Faryal Talpur’s pre-arrest bail plea in the mega money laundering case.

Following the rejection of bail, a team of anti-corruption watchdog accompanied by police personnel had reached the residence of PPP co-chairman and arrested him. Asif Zardari was taken to NAB office in Rawalpindi where he was shifted to cell no 2.

The charges in the latest case centre around allegations Zardari laundered vast sums of money through suspect bank accounts and companies.

NAB is conducting investigations in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the money laundering of billions through fake accounts case wherein it forwarded the joint investigation team (JIT) report with directions to investigate and file references.

Zardari has repeatedly dismissed allegations he had a hand in the scheme. Never popular and always shrouded in controversy, Zardari -- who was once jailed for 11 years for corruption -- stepped down from the president s office in 2013. But he has continued to serve as co-chairman of the opposition PPP.