Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan will be the biggest beneficiary of the recent amendments to NAB laws.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday with Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sanaullah said Khan has been creating a false narrative against the amendments.
“If some reforms have been made to the NAB laws, it would benefit Imran Khan, [former Punjab CM] Usman Buzdar and Farah Gogi.”
On Tuesday, former prime minister Imran Khan announced to challenge the amendments in the Supreme Court (SC). He said Maryam Nawaz, Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif would benefit hugely from the changes.
The minister added that 85percent of these amendments were passed through three ordinances during the PTI government.
Replying to Khan’s criticism on the amendments, the minister said the duration of remand has been reduced from 90 days to 14 days.
This will benefit you, Farah Gogi and her husband Ahsan Jameel Gujjar, he said.
“Farah and Gujjar were allowed entry into the prime minister’s house as family members and no record of their arrival in the PM house exist.”
I categorically said 10 days go that Khan returned Rs50b to Malik Riaz which should have been deposited into the national exchequer, he said.
He also claimed that the PTI chairman received Rs5b as commission for himself and Rs2b for his front man Shahzad Akbar, he claimed.
“Imran Khan bought 240 kanal land under the name of Farah Gogi. How was this land transferred under her [Farah] name?” asked Sanaullah.
He said 458 kanal land for Al Qadir University was transferred from Bahria Town to the trust during the same days Malik Riaz was returned Rs50b.
He said that during the last 3.5 years, there were no changes to NAB laws, but Khan failed to prove anything against the opposition leaders.
“What you couldn’t prove in 3.5 or four years, why are you crying hoarse now?”
He said Imran Khan wanted to hire retired session judges on same perks and privileges as high Court judges and use them to further his agenda of victimization.
He said the changes to remands and bail procedure have been made in light of the recommendations of courts.
Is it wrong if the burden of proof has been shifted to NAB, he asked.
“If NAB is arresting someone and putting them in jail, then it should prove the case against the.”
The minister said under the new amendments, courts have been empowered to grant bails.
“Earlier, people were arrested and dumped for 90 days and even after three-month-long remand no charge sheet was presented. This will not happen any more.”
He added that Khan has been using Khurram Dastagir’s statement to prove that he was removed for pursuing accountability cases against the opposition leader.
If he is removed for this reason, then what about his US-backed conspiracy narrative, Sanaullah asked.