Sindh Speaker Siraj nabbed

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Karachi has arrested Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in Islamabad from a private hotel in collaboration with the NAB Rawalpindi and the Intelligence Wing of the NAB Headquarters.

Agha Siraj Durrani is accused of having assets beyond known sources of income. The NAB had initiated three separate inquiries against Durrani last year for allegedly owning assets beyond means, illegally recruiting 352 individuals against various government positions and embezzlement of funds for the construction of the MPA Hostel and construction of the new Sindh Assembly building.

The sources said the decision to arrest Durrani was taken during a meeting in which the NAB officials were informed that the PPP leader is currently in Islamabad. Following the arrest of Siraj Durrani, the NAB conducted his medical check-up and presented him before the Accountability Court and secured his transit remand for three days.

The NAB initially sought a seven-day transit remand of Durrani. "The relevant authority has issued Durrani's arrest warrants and references against him are ongoing in

Karachi," the NAB officials told the court.

As the court refused to grant seven-day transit remand, NAB officials said, "We will take him to Karachi today or tomorrow but require more time owing to bad weather." Durrani then told the court, "I was scheduled to depart for Karachi at 7:00pm today (Wednesday)."

The court then ordered Durrani's medical examination and granted NAB, the Sindh Assembly speaker's three-day transit remand. The accountability court also directed presenting Durran before a relevant court in Karachi after three days.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan said thieves "become Nelson Mandela" after they are arrested. Speaking to journalists in the Parliament House corridor, the premier said, "Today, Agha Siraj Durrani has been arrested. First, they loot the country and when they are arrested they become Nelson Mandela."

In a separate meeting, Imran Khan directed for doubling efforts to curb money laundering, making it clear that those indulging in the menace are the nation's enemies and do not deserve any leniency. Imran condemned money-laundering and said by embezzling public funds and transferring it abroad to maximise personal fortunes, they not only cause a severe financial crisis, but the nation is also pushed in a quagmire of loans. He reiterated that money laundering posed a serious threat to national security and called for drastic measures to effectively curb it. He directed the authorities to ensure that the crime becomes an ‘expensive risk’ and the criminals do not go scot-free. The Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem and the secretary interior briefed the prime minister about the progress on administrative and legislative measures taken to specifically combat money laundering and the results achieved hitherto in this connection.

Talking to media, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the NAB is taking actions independently, and the government has nothing to do with it. “Our own senior minister from Punjab was arrested and today they have arrested the Sindh assembly speaker," he said. "All of this has nothing to do with the government. We do believe that the accountability process should be kept separate; it would be inappropriate to mix it with politics," he emphasised.

Meanwhile, the arrest of Siraj Durrani was strongly condemned by the Pakistan People’s Party leaders. The Sindh Chief Minister's Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab criticised the NAB for arresting Durrani and questioned what message are they trying to send.

Addressing the media in Karachi, Wahab said, “What message are you trying to convey by arresting a sitting speaker? If any of our members have been involved in corruption then conduct an inquiry against them but do not arrest them like this,” he said. Questioning whether the NAB laws are only for the PPP, Wahab said, “Are there different set of rules for the PPP and different for the PTI? The Prime Minister Imran Khan, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak and NA Speaker Asad Qaiser are all facing NAB inquiries but have not been arrested." He added, “This arrest is wrong and especially because it comes at a time when a Sindh Assembly session has been summoned.” He urged that the NAB should think twice before taking such measures. Stating that an inquiry is ongoing against Durrani and nothing has been proven, Wahab said, “How can you arrest someone when a case hasn’t been proven against them?” He continued, "the speaker should have been sent a questionnaire and he would have answered it. Such arrests won’t make any difference. The People of Sindh have voted for the PPP and will stand firmly by us.”

The PPP leader also urged the courts to take notice of the arrest. "When a fake party cannot win votes it resorts to such tactics," he said. Wahab further said the arrests are being made for political victimisation. "Durrani is a PPP member and not a part of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) or PTI which is why he has been arrested," he said, adding, "The PPP should not be pushed against the wall."

The PPP leader Maulana Bakhsh Chandio expressed grave concern over Durrani's arrest, saying he is not a common person, but he is speaker of the Sindh Assembly. Chandio said it seems that the NAB was waiting for the arrival of Siraj Durrani to Islamabad. He said arresting Durrani from Islamabad and then taking him to Karachi in handcuffs is beyond comprehension. He said the Centre and the provinces will have to respect each other. He said the rulers in the Centre have given nothing to the country except anarchy.

Meanwhile, the NAB in a letter to the secretary Sindh Assembly said Durrani had been arrested "due to his involvement in the offence of corruption and corrupt practices as minister local government and speaker Sindh Assembly. "He has been charged for accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income which he could not reasonably account for," said the letter.

The NAB has also vehemently denied media reports alleging that Irfan Mangi was brought from Sindh to arrest the Sindhis and said the NAB is a national institution which is taking action across the broad throughout the country to eradicate the menace of corruption in accordance with law and no province was enjoying immunity in this regard. The NAB spokesman said officers of the Bureau have no affiliation with any party, individual or group. “The NAB condemns provincialism. The NAB officers have first and last affiliation with state of Pakistan,” he said. The spokesman said officers are performing their duties with honesty, transparency and dedication in accordance with law. “The baseless propaganda against the NAB is aimed at impacting its activities. The NAB will continue its working in accordance with law,” he said.