On Monday, a Pakistani anti-corruption court charged and arrested Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s ex-president, and Faryal Talpur, his sister, for laundering money through fake accounts during Zardari’s presidency. Omni Group’s Chairman, Anwar Majeed, and his son, Ghani Majeed, were also indicted in the same case. The scandal first surfaced in 2018, which triggered multiple probes into those involved. Both Zardari and Talpur were arrested last year and spent months in jail before being released on bail in December.
Additionally, Shahbaz Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the leader of the country’s opposition, was charged and arrested on Monday in a separate $41.9 million money laundering case. Shahbaz is the younger brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. According to the Interior and Accountability Adviser of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Shahbaz, along with his two sons, were responsible for 177 “suspicious transactions” through fake accounts operated by them.
The arrests came just over a week after Pakistan’s major opposition parties launched an alliance, called the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), to oust the Imran Khan-led government in Islamabad. The primary concern of the coalition is regarding the increasing influence of the Pakistani military on the internal affairs of the country.
The meeting was organized by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), and attendees included leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazi (JUI-F). The members of the alliance unanimously adopted a 26-point joint resolution, which intends to organize nationwide protests against the incumbent party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
These demonstrations will commence in October and will unravel in three phases, beginning with joint rallies in all four provinces. Then, in December, these rallies will be held on a larger scale all across the country. Finally, in the third phase, a “decisive” march will be conducted in January wherein the demonstrators will march towards Islamabad and demand the government to step down.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, who are both leaders of the PML-N, condemned the arrests and said that the PTI’s actions would not obstruct the implementation of the PDM’s joint resolution. They also convened a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation, along with the possibility of the Khan-led government initiating charges and arresting other leaders of the opposition parties. Nawaz Sharif tweeted, “The puppet regime has endorsed the MPC’s (multiparty conference) resolution by arresting Shahbaz. Shahbaz Sharif had told the MPC that whether he would be in jail or not all decisions taken in MPC would be implemented. I want to say … make no mistake, we can never be silenced through coercive tactics.”
Maryam Nawaz also questioned the court’s decision to arrest the opposition leaders, while it continued to remain silent on the corruption allegations against Asim Saleem Bajwa, who was one of Imran Khan’s top aides. Consequently, Bajwa, who continues to be the chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, stepped down as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for information and broadcasting. However, no formal charges have been framed against him.
Make no mistake. Shehbaz Sharif has been arrested ONLY because he REFUSED to play in the hands of those who wanted to use him against his brother. He preferred standing behind prison bars than to stand against his brother. Shahbaz Sharif, aap ko SALAM!
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) September 28, 2020
Opposition leaders believe that they are being targeted by the Imran Khan-led government. Shahbaz, during an interview with the media, warned, “It is the unholy alliance of Imran Khan and NAB (National Accountability Bureau) that wanted to put me behind bars.” Further, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, said, “political victimization of the opposition continues during a global pandemic.” He added, “Runaway dictator traitor, three special assistants, ministers, and the premier’s sister won’t be summoned because we have two laws in Pakistan.”