- Accountability court extends judicial remand of former minister
KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker and former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Friday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is apparently “in love with PML-N” and “has made a deal with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif”.
He was talking to reporters ahead of the Sindh Assembly’s (SA) session. He questioned as to why there was no uniform policy for putting names on the Exit Control List (ECL), adding that NAB cannot fool the PPP by saying that they have an equal policy for everyone.
The PPP lawmaker further stated that it’s evident that the NAB is favouring the former PM because he (Memon) was arrested without any arrest warrants issued against him.
He claimed that PPP workers are not afraid of jail and that the party leader Asif Zardari spent 11 years of his life in prison, convicted in bogus cases.
On November 1, the former Sindh minister had deplored the double standards of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
While addressing the Sindh Assembly session, Memon had asked why his name was put on the Exit Control List (ECL) while he was abroad. “I request NAB chairman to tell me the criteria to put people’s name on the ECL,” he said. ”
“Mian Nawaz Sharif is facing NAB references, has his name been put on ECL? Ishaq Dar is facing references, has his name been put on ECL,” he questioned.
In a letter to the chief minister, he had stated that “even if NAB laws becomes ineffective in Sindh, he doesn’t want his cases to be shifted to the new accountability commission as he wants to fight his case according to NAB laws. I am ready to defend myself in any court; it was much easier for me to remain abroad. But I preferred to face court and answer all charges levelled against me.”
Meanwhile, an accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of Sharjeel Memon and other accused in over Rs 5 billion corruption case for two days.
The accused will be produced before the court on November 4. Memon, a suspect in the Rs5.7 billion corruption case, was taken by authorities from the lockup to the assembly amid high security. He is on judicial remand until November 4.
NAB officials had also arrested 11 co-accused in the case and produced them before the court. Out of the 11, five had handed over themselves to NAB officials whereas the remaining seven were arrested along with Memon. One accused in the case had been granted extension in his bail.
