Selective accountability cannot discredit PML-N: Rana Sanaullah

Sanaullah says PML-N will continue to act as responsible opposition

LAHORE: Criticising the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has said former president Asif Ali Zardari “has become an honourable man from being known as Mr 10 per cent after undergoing a sham accountability process”.

He said NAB’s ‘selective’ accountability only benefited the people it had ever tried to prosecute.

Rejecting the impression that the PML-N was shying away from accountability, he said the incumbent government was wrong to think that arrests and inquiries under the ‘sham accountability’ process had discredited the PML-N. It would only strengthen party’s position, he added.

Sanaullah said the PML-N wanted accountability across the board. He warned that confrontation between the government and the opposition would only worsen the economic problems.

He said that NAB had tainted the accountability process by becoming proactive in the cases of Shehbaz Sharif and Khawaja Saad Rafique. He alleged that the bureau was not showing the same enthusiasm in the cases against Senior Provincial Minister Punjab Aleem Khan, Advisor to Prime Minister Zulfi Bukhari and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi.

The minister said the PML-N had not ruled out the possibility of street protests. He added the party would protest in parliament.

He said that street protests might endanger the government. He added that the PML-N was not in favour of endangering the government since it would pave the way for ‘undemocratic forces’.

“The party will play the role of a responsible opposition,” he said, but added that the PML-N would expose the government before the people through protests in parliament.

With regard to Nawaz Sharif’s return to politics, Sanaullah said he was effectively playing his role in politics. He added that Sharif would continue to lead the party.

The PML-N leader said the party was functioning on the guidelines given by Sharif, and all the leaders went to him for advice.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid described the role of Sharif in the party as that of an ‘elder who gives guidance when needed’. He said Sharif called the party leaders at his residence and instructed them about party matters when needed.