Disapproving the recent statements of both the Khawajas, who recently used harsh language while referring to the Musharraf case, the prime minister conveyed to his ministers to maintain decency and said they must not say anything that in any manner is interpreted as targeting the institution of the Pakistan Army.
According to a cabinet source, the prime minister’s eyebrows were raised by the tone and tenor adopted by Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Khawaja Asif in their recent onslaught against General (retd) Musharraf.
The source said that the prime minister believed that Musharraf’s high treason case was in a court of law and there was no reason for government ministers’ to become judgmental and aggressive. “Let the courts do their work,” the ministerial source quoted the prime minister as saying.
The sources said that the prime minister was warned that statements like those of the defence minister and the railways minister might also create bad feelings within the military establishment. Such statements, the ministerial source said, could also be used to create a misunderstanding between the civilian and military leadership.
Meanwhile, some top leaders in the PML-N are also pressing on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to focus on the accountability of those who have looted and plundered national wealth worth billions and billions of rupees during the last several years, particularly during the last tenure of the PPP.
Within the PML-N, there is a great disappointment vis-a-vis the accountability system being run under the Nawaz Sharif government. It is said while General (retd) Musharraf’s case is pursued there is no attention being paid by the government or NAB to bring to justice those who had done massive corruption but remained untouched.
Such policies of the government, it is said, provide impetus to those who propagate that Musharraf is being ‘victimised’ by the prime minister.
Like several independent observers, there are now many voices within the PML-N who raise the question as to why Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif forgot his election promise of getting back the public money looted and plundered during the last PPP government.
It is said that the NAB performance during the PML-N regime is not much different from what NAB has been doing during the PPP’s regime. According to one key PML-N leader, the top leadership of the PPP is being greatly favoured by NAB in corruption cases. It is also said that some key businessmen, who were made to cough up billions following the orders of the apex court, have been cleared by NAB in the major power-related scandals.
