PM was not happy with Shahzad Akbar’s performance, reveals Rashid

Interior minister says former accountability czar failed to bring back Nawaz Sharif from London, recover looted wealth


News Desk January 27, 2022
Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. PHOTO: BBC

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has for the first time publicly admitted that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not happy with the performance of Shahzad Akbar, who abruptly stepped down from the post of adviser to PM on accountability and interior earlier this week.

In an interview with BBC Urdu on Thursday, the interior minister while responding to a question said Akbar’s failure to bring back former premier Nawaz Sharif from London was not only the reason for his departure from the federal cabinet.

“He could not recover [plundered] wealth... only Shehbaz Sharif [PML-N president] is facing a money laundering case of worth Rs16 billion but we could not even recover that [amount],” Rashid said.

Speaking about the ruling PTI’s anti-corruption drive, he said PM Imran is adamant about eradicating grafts from the country and sacked many members from his party and the government’s positions over corruption allegations.

“Imran Khan can't do more than that," he added.

Rashid said people voted for Imran Khan to hold the “corrupt and plunderers” accountable but admitted that due to some “weaknesses” the ruling PTI could not fulfil his pre-election promise.

The government, he also said, is making efforts to sign extradition treaties with other countries, especially the UK to bring back those wanted by courts and other criminals.

Also read: Former DG NAB appointed PM's accountability czar

The federal minister added that the government is also making efforts for the extradition of Nawaz Sharif while admitting granting him rare permission to fly abroad in 2019 was the government’s fault.

“We sent him [Nawaz Sharif] ourselves, it is our fault. They managed to throw dust in everyone's eyes and escaped,” he remarked.

On Wednesday, PM Imran claimed that he had already fulfilled his pre-election promise of eradicating corruption from the country in 90 days within the stipulated time after coming into power.

A day after Pakistan slipped down on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2021, Premier Imran said that no scandal of financial corruption emerged during the incumbent government’s tenure, whereas scandals like Panama Papers surfaced during previous government’s rule.

“The promise to end corruption in 90 days has already been fulfilled,” a party leader, who wishes not to be named, quoted the prime minister as saying, while addressing a meeting of the spokespersons for the ruling party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

 

COMMENTS (3)

Ejaz Dhudhi | 2 years ago | Reply Ye qadiani harami jitnay bhi talented hon Pakistan se kabhi bhi sincere nai ho saktay. Pata nai ye bat Pakistani logon ko samajh q nai atee. I K ko bhi 3 Saal baad pata chalay k ye harami sooar ki shakal wala shehzad akbar qadiani sincerely kam nai kr raha tha
Parvez ali | 2 years ago | Reply Shahzad Akbar Mr Shaikh Rashid tells us that accountability czar Mr Shahzad Akbar was removed because the PM was not happy with his performance-he could nor deliver results. This after years of trumpeting on the media about his super performance Is the PM happy with the performance of Shaikh Rashid himself and further is the PM happy happy about his own performance. He has not delivered on any of his very tall promises And there is the dubious money in his own cupboard in the Foreign Funding Report Regards Parvez ali
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