ISLAMABAD: Upping the ante amid the anti-PTI rallies across the country, the government has announced that it will not issue production orders for the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif.
While speaking to a private news channel on Monday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said: "The opposition parties were doing reprehensible and dirty politics to protect their looted wealth and to halt the ongoing accountability process against their bigwigs."
Gill said that the production orders will not be issued for PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, who is currently in the custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). It is a parliamentary rule vested with the office of the speaker which allows parliamentarians under arrest to be produced in the house after being summoned.
Read more: Explainer: Can production orders for a parliamentarian be revoked?
He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had lost its credibility as it had failed in gathering people for their second power show in Karachi.
The people were not supporting the convicted, looters and plunderers, who had gathered under the banner of PDM to protect their vested interests, he added.
The premier's aide said the opposition leaders were using blackmailing tactics to achieve National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), but they could not get it.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing the Tiger Force Convention in Islamabad, had turned his guns on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif — calling him out on his past links to dictators and dismissing his stance as a desperate attempt to save a legacy which has become mired in corruption cases.
"The opposition has so far seen one Imran Khan," the prime minister said, adding: "I used to say: give them production orders and invite them to assemblies and so on. The Imran Khan you will be seeing now is going to be a different Imran Khan."
"No dacoit will get a production order [...] Shahbaz Sharif will not get a production order till he submits a full response in court, nor will any of the other dacoits."
"I request the chief justice: whatever logistical support you need from the government, we will provide it. But for God's sake, hear these cases on a daily basis and wrap them up!"
"They have been looting the country for 30 years: these cases are not new, and yet they still have not been decided."
He then turned to NAB.
"You have done a lot of good work, but for God's sake, take these cases to their logical end. We will give you all the support you require, but the nation is waiting for the time the looted money will be returned."