VIP prisoner came in NA, sought NRO: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan Friday said a VIP prisoner in hidden and sugar-coated words in the National Assembly sought the NRO and wanted the ongoing accountability process to come to a halt.

Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, she said the VIP prisoner who came to the National Assembly on the basis of a production order said people felt frightened that if a person like him could be arrested, then what could be their fate.

“It was the commitment of Imran Khan with the nation that they would first start the accountability of the powerful after which law would apply to all equally. This will then give birth to a Naya Pakistan,” she noted.

She said in Pakistan the law was always applied to the weak and it was the victory of Imran Khan’s narrative that the powerful were now facing the law. She said Imran Khan had given a free hand to the state institutions and empowered them, while previously they were rendered hostage by the powerful.

Replying to a question, Dr. Awan said it was strange that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been issued a show cause notice by the Election Commission of Pakistan over the Ghotki visit.

“The prime minister visited Ghotki to express his condolences over the death of Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Ali Mohammad Mahar. There was no press conference and the prime minister did not announce any package for the people of the area,” she said.

"In spite of this, the Election Commission in Sindh, on the request of a candidate that had gone to submit his candidacy papers in full police protocol, chose to send a show cause notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan. This episode has made it clear to us that our fight is not over, our institutions are not fully independent yet and that we have to work towards truly free and fair elections," she emphasised.

She pointed out that it was strange that the Election Commission issued a notice to the prime minister for visiting Ghotki, but the same turned a blind eye when the Sindh chief minister gave away funds for campaigning or when sitting members of Parliament went there and tried to entice the population with attractive development offers.

Dr. Awan said the government’s ally — Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid — would strongly back it for the passage of budget in the National Assembly as well as in the Punjab Assembly. Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Ali Zardari Friday said the only difference between General (R) Pervez Musharraf and Imran Khan was of uniform.

“Imran Khan has come into power easily and he has no regard for democracy and democratic struggle,” he said while talking to reporters in the chamber of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the Parliament House.

Zardari denied seeking an NRO saying if he wanted to avail himself of this facility, then he would not have been sitting there. “Imran Khan has no authority to give the NRO,” he said.

The former president said he suggested the Charter of Economy but instead of moving in this direction, the rulers were making fun of his proposal. “The government is making fun of the charter proposal and those making and placing headlines are also making fun of my proposal. So, it does not matter, as all this is part of the history now,” he said.

He said the government was not coming towards the Charter of Economy. “The way the economy is moving, this government will have to go home,” he added. When asked about the possibility of coalition with Imran Khan in future, the former president replied in the negative saying it was difficult to go with him.

“Imran Khan is even not aware of the impact of high petrol prices on those having motorcycles and now even the bicycle is more expensive,” he said. He said the PPP could go along with the PML-N but not with the PTI.

Asked about the possibility of replacing the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Zardari said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will take a decision on it, as he was commanding the party. Asked if there was any guarantee that the PML-N will go along with the PPP in future, Zardari said, “Both the parties suffered political blows in the past, but now they will have to move carefully, as one always learns from one’s past experiences,” he said.

Replying to a question about the NAB attitude towards him, Zardari said the NAB officials treated him with respect and he also respected them. Answering yet another question about the possible arrest of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, he said these were only rumors and there’re was no need to take them seriously.

Earlier, he cut a cake on the 66th birthday of Benazir Bhutto along with the party’s MNAs and senators at the Parliament House.