'Do not scare me of jails, have faced Musharraf's 10-year accountability', Hamza tells PM
Court orders should be respected for rule of law, the PML-N leader says
April 06, 2019
LAHORE: Opposition Leader in Punjab Hamza Shehbaz on Saturday asked Prime Minister Imran Khan not to scare him of jails as he had faced them and been through 10-year accountability process by Musharraf regime.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said so while addressing party workers outside his residence, after the Lahore High Court (LHC) barred National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Hamza.
"The nation is awakening. The workers are standing firm here," he said. "Our workers are our asset and I respect them from the core of my heart."
Hamza said the constitution and the law won today in the country.
He noted that his party's leadership faced cases against them and appeared before investigating agencies despite all reservations.
"Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan to face cases against him, leaving behind his ailing wife. But not a single penny worth of corruption could be proven against the former prime minister," the opposition leader said.
"We appeared before the NAB despite all reservations and the anti-graft body stated before the court that Hamza Shehbaz was most cooperative of all."
He said he had the court order with him, adding, "Court orders should be respected for the sake of rule of law in the country. You cannot arrest me".
Hamza said tyrant are those who enter a person's residence by scaling the walls and detain the occupants.
He said he was scared due to the present economic conditions of the country.
"The economic conditions of the country are haunting me today. Niazi sahib, you have deprived the masses of food, while the tests being conducted in public hospitals are costlier than tests in private hospitals," the opposition leader said.
He invited the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government to hold talks with them on Charter of Democracy, saying that opposition would play its role for the sake of people.
"There are ages left for political rivalry. The price of dollar today has been putting a question mark on Pakistan's economy," Hamza said. "The economy of the country is declining and there is shortage of capital even for debt servicing.
He invited the government to come and try jointly carving out a roadmap to help strengthen the economy.
The opposition leader advised the prime minister to stop telling lies, saying that the masses did not have enough money for treatment of their children.
He said they would resolve public issues the way they eliminated load-shedding from the country.
"The people have sent us to assemblies. We took oath despite worst rigging, for the sake of continuity of democracy," Hamza said.
"Niazi sahib, I have faced 10-year accountability by Pervez Musharraf government," he said further.
"I served time in Adiyala jail when I was 18-year-old. Do not try and scare me."
