The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday arrested Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and secured his three-day transit remand.
Durrani, who was under investigation in three cases pertaining to illegal appointments, assets beyond means and embezzlement of funds, was arrested from a private hotel in Islamabad and taken to the NAB office in Rawalpindi.
Later, the NAB officials presented the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader before an accountability court and sought his seven-day transit remand. “The relevant authority issued Durrani’s arrest warrants and references against him are ongoing in Karachi,” NAB officials told the court.
As the court refused to grant seven-day transit remand, NAB officials said, “We will take him to Karachi today or tomorrow and asked for more time owing to bad weather.” Durrani then told the court, “I was scheduled to depart for Karachi at 7pm today.”
The court then ordered that Durrani’s medical examination be conducted today and granted NAB three-day transit remand of the Sindh Assembly speaker. The accountability court directed that Durrani be presented before a relevant court in Karachi after three days.
NAB had initiated three separate inquiries against Durrani last year for allegedly owning assets beyond means, illegally recruiting 352 individuals on various government positions and embezzlement of funds for the construction of the MPA Hostel and construction of the new Sindh Assembly building.
Sources said, “The decision to arrest Durrani was taken during a meeting in which NAB officials were informed that the PPP leader is currently in Islamabad.”
Durrani was re-elected as Sindh Assembly speaker in August 2018.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted, “Hum Baynami wazeer-e-azam ko baywardi Aamriat Qaaim nahi karnay dainga [We will not let a fake prime minister be a dictator without a uniform].”
“Attack on speaker of federating unit is [an] unacceptable, undemocratic attempt to dislodge Sindh govt. Failed before will fail again. Independent institutions shouldn’t unwittingly be part of political engineering,” he added.
Commenting on the development, senior journalist Hamid Mir told Geo News, “This case was under investigation and it doesn’t seem this is a message for PPP but for all political parties. According to our reports, NAB is going to arrest some important personalities.”
“In the coming days, NAB may take important personalities from the government and opposition into their custody.”
“This is an important arrest,” said senior journalist Mazhar Abbas. “Yesterday the Supreme Court dismissed review petitions of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur. This signals that others including Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah can be arrested. This could lead to the collapse of the Sindh government.”
