Zardari, Faryal's arrest bid to divert attention from 'anti-people' budget: Bilawal

Says govt hatching conspiracies to remove judges of superior courts, curtail media freedom

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Hours after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) put Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Faryal Talpur under house arrest, chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said his party's leadership was jailed in order to divert the attention of the masses from the 'anti-people' budget presented in the National Assembly earlier this week.

"The government has arrested the political leaders to divert your [masses] attention from its economic terrorism...to get its anti-people budget approved from parliament," Bilawal told a press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad on Friday.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party addressing media at Zardari House, Islamabad https://t.co/OG7v7KDOuk

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 14, 2019

While former president Asif Zardari was arrested on Monday, Talpur, another prime accused in the fake bank accounts case, was taken into custody after Islamabad High Court cancelled her bail earlier in the day.

“[Both] Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur were arrested without any conviction against them," he claimed. "Zardari was arrested the day the government released the Economic Survey 2019, which highlighted PTI's economic performance... the worst in history."

Bilawal said he was in touch with opposition parties, as well as government allies, ie Akhtar Mengal to oppose the 2019-20 budget in the assemblies. “This budget would not be legal if it is passed without issuing the production orders of arrested lawmakers,” he said.

Responding to a question about the ongoing case, the PPP chairman said former chief justice Saqib Nisar had declared him innocent and even NAB had not accused him. Yet, he added, the corruption watchdog could arrest him.

Zardari advises PM Imran to ‘resign and go home’

He also called for investigation into the leak of controversial videos of NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, saying it was done by the ruling party to pressurise him.

He also spoke on the ongoing case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the Supreme Judicial Council, and alleged that the government was hatching conspiracies to remove the honourable judges of the apex court.

"There is no difference between the government of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and PTI... both the regimes curtailed media freedom and attempted to bring judiciary under control," the PPP chairman said. "Democratic leaders are being arrested and incarcerated as opposed to members of banned outfits."

The PPP leader said he wanted the government to complete its tenure, however, a future course of action would be decided in the forthcoming all parties’ conference.