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Saturday, October 12, 2024

NAB arrests PTI’s Minster: No biasness in Justice?

In a latest development, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), on Friday, arrested Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) member, provincial assembly and Minister of Punjab for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, Mohammad Sibtain Khan.

News Analysis |

According to sources in NAB, Sibtain Khan is accused of awarding illegal contracts worth billions of rupees in Chiniot around 2007 while he was serving as a provincial minister of Punjab for mines and minerals. The provincial minister will be presented before the court today where the anti-graft agency would appeal for his 15-day physical remand.

Sibtain Khan’s Political Career

Sibtain Khan was elected to the member of Punjab assembly as an independent candidate from Constituency PP-39 (Mianwali-IV) in general election, 1990. He received 29,582 votes and defeated a candidate of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI). He served a Provincial Minister of Punjab for Prison from 1990 to 1993.

He ran for the seat of the provincial assembly as an independent candidate from Constituency PP-39 (Mianwali-IV) in the general elections 1997, but was unsuccessful.

PM Imran Khan made it clear several times that the NAB is an independent institution and the corrupt politicians and officials will not be spared at any cost.

He was re-elected to the provincial assembly as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) from Constituency PP-46 (Mianwali-IV) in 2002. In January 2003, he was inducted into the provincial cabinet of Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and was appointed as Provincial Minister of Punjab for Mines and Minerals where he remained until 2007.

NAB’s Response to Opposition

PM Imran Khan made it clear several times that the NAB is an independent institution and the corrupt politicians and officials will not be spared at any cost. Cases are being investigated and filed by the watchdog which is worrisome for many politicians and bureaucrats in the country. But opposition parties blame the government for controlling the NAB and using it against the political rivals. The perception became more convincing after the arrest of Asif Ali Zardari, Hamza Shahbaz and Faryal Talpur.

The opposition accused the government of harboring those sitting on treasury benches and not letting the NAB probe into their assets. However, the government is seemingly firm on its stance and not letting anyone compromise on the rule of law. PM Khan has repeatedly maintained that there is zero tolerance for corruption and misuse of authority.

Read more: BRT Peshawar: PPP files complaint to NAB

The arrest of PTI’s serving minister has shattered the widely held belief that the accountability drive was only to target the rival groups. It has now been established that the NAB is an autonomous institution and works without any pressure. Similarly, it is now clear that the government is not targeting the opponents rather it is the anti-corruption organization which is after these corrupt elements.