Moonis Elahi's arrest 'out of question': NAB

No inquiry pending against PML-Q leader at present, says anti-graft watchdog's spokesperson

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday said that the arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and Federal Water Resources Minister Moonis Elahi was "out of the question".

According to the anti-graft watchdog's spokesperson, no inquiry was pending against Elahi at present, adding that NAB had also issued an explanation yesterday in this connection.

He clarified that NAB has nothing to do with the no-confidence motion and the institution always believed in performing its duties in accordance with the Constitution and law.

Read more: Rashid’s outburst imperils PTI-led ruling coalition

"NAB does not belong to any political party, group or individual but to the state of Pakistan. No NAB official has anything to do with the no-confidence motion and will never have," the spokesperson further said.

Earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak denied issuing any statement against the ruling party's major ally PML-Q or its senior leader Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi.

I have not issued any statement on media against PMLQ or Pervaiz Elahi. I'm in contact with all our allies on a daily basis.

— Pervez Khattak (@PervezKhattakPK) March 16, 2022

"I have not issued any statement on media against PMLQ or Pervaiz Elahi. I'm in contact with all our allies on a daily basis," he wrote on his Twitter handle.

To this, Moonis Elahi, sharing a media report, had asked Khattak to clarify his statement. Responding to which, the defence minister said that he did not give any such statement to the media.

پرویز خٹک صاحب سے رابطہ رہتا ہے اور
ہر دوسرے دن بات ہوتی ہے.
اس بیان کی وضاحت پرویز خٹک صاحب @PervezKhattakPK خود کردیں۔ pic.twitter.com/w9XudFRcmm

— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) March 16, 2022

Moonis, further replying to Khattak's statement, thanked the defence minister for the clarification.

Thank you! https://t.co/CxQfsXvswA

— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) March 16, 2022

Also read: PML-Q, MQM supports PTI against no-trust motion, says Asad Umar

On Saturday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and Moonis Elahi exchanged allegations in the wake of the no-confidence motion tabled in the National Assembly by the opposition.

Addressing a news conference in Quetta, Rashid told reporters that he was not the one "blackmailing the government" with five votes for the post of the chief minister.

When asked about five votes of the Balochistan Awami Party, Rashid replied that he was talking about Punjab, not Balochistan.

He was apparently referring to reports that the PML-Q – a key ally of the PTI both in the Centre and Punjab – was demanding of the government to replace Chief Minister Usman Buzdar with its senior party leader and provincial assembly speaker Pervaiz Elahi in return for foiling the opposition’s no-confidence motion in the lower house of parliament.

Hitting back at Rashid’s statement, Moonis tweeted: “I respect Sheikh Rashid but he is forgetting that he used to take money from the elders of his party during his student life.”

شیخ صاحب @ShkhRasheed مس انڈرسٹینڈنگ کلیئر کرنے کا شکریہ۔ میں بھی آپ کی عزت اس طرح کرتا ہوں جس طرح آپ میرے بزرگوں کی کرتے ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/jqwZwct7nF

— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) March 13, 2022

In a separate statement, the PML-Q leader claimed that parties with 50 seats were approaching a five-seat party for a meeting and consultations.

“Some say that if a person with just one seat can become an interior minister, then why a party with five seats can’t have its own chief minister and governor.”