Imran Khan's NAB arrests ex-Pak FM Khawaja Asif; continues crackdown on Nawaz Sharif camp

Pakistan's former Foreign Minister and PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif was arrested in Islamabad on Tuesday by anti-corruption officials for allegedly having assets beyond means of income. Asif was taken into the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) when he was coming out of a party meeting, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb.

'Assets beyond known sources of income case'

The NAB, in a statement, said its officials from the Lahore office executed the arrest in "assets beyond known sources of income case." The bureau said that Asif held a Dubai iqama (work permit) from 2004 to 2008, and earned a total of Rs 136 million for his services as a consultant legal adviser. 

The PML-N leader had earlier been summoned for an inquiry but he failed to provide the required evidence, Dawn quoted Nawazish Ali, bureau's spokesperson as saying. 

Khawaja Asif was directed to submit details of the salary he received and other information. He was also asked to provide the job application he had submitted to a foreign company as well as his iqama agreement. "Khawaja Asif continuously failed to cooperate during the inquiry," the spokesperson said, adding that he was arrested with the approval of the NAB chairman.

In a press statement issued later, NAB Lahore said that the investigation against Asif was being conducted under Section 5 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010. According to the statement, Asif was elected as senator in 1991, prior to which he had total assets of Rs 5.1 million. By 2018, this figure had ballooned to Rs221 million, which is not justifiable with his known sources of income, said NAB Lahore, according to Dawn.

Besides, the statement added, Asif was running a Benami company in the name of his employee, Tariq Mir. A sum of Rs 400 million was deposited in the bank account of the company, titled 'Tariq Mir and Company', but there was no information about the sources of income, said NAB Lahore.

READ | Kumaraswamy calls Gowda's death 'political murder'; Congress says 'no politics on deaths'

READ | Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of 'riot politics'; says 'Buying MLAs, won't own entire TMC'

Nawaz Sharif slams Imran Khan's PTI govt

PML-N chief and former PM Nawaz Sharif condemned the arrest. He said it showed the government was rattled and that the days of blind vengeance (by the government) are numbered. Slamming Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, Nawaz Sharif called Asif's arrest a "joke."

"Khawaja Asif's arrest in asset beyond means is a joke and shows the desperation of the government," Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Pakistani journalist Murtaza Ali Shah. His daughter Maryam Nawaz alleged that Asif was being pressured to oppose Nawaz Sharif and was arrested on refusing to do so.

With his arrest, Asif now joins a long list of PML-N leaders facing cases of corruption, including party president Shehbaz Sharif, senior members Hamza Shehbaz, Rana Sanaullah, Javed Latif, Ahsan Iqabl, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Saad Rafique, among others. The arrest comes at a time when the Pakistan Democratic Movement -- an alliance of 11 Opposition parties -- is organising protest rallies across the length and breadth of the country, demanding Prime Minister Imran Khan resign.

READ | Farmers' groups give consent for 7th round of talks with Centre; 1 union backs out

READ | 'No one should dare to write off the Indian cricket team ever': Kaif thunders post MCG win

(With agency inputs)