Islamabad, Pakistan – In a shocking development, the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, has been arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on charges of corruption.
The arrest of Qureshi comes just days after the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Irfan Khan, was also taken into custody on similar charges. Both Qureshi and Khan are accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the national exchequer during their tenure in the government.
The NAB has been investigating the corruption allegations against Qureshi and Khan for several months, and their arrest is seen as a major victory in the fight against corruption in Pakistan. The NAB has been under immense pressure from the public to take action against corrupt politicians, and the arrest of Qureshi and Khan is expected to send a strong message to others who may be involved in corrupt practices.
Qureshi, who served as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2011, has denied the allegations against him and has claimed that he is being targeted by the government due to his political views. However, the NAB has stated that they have sufficient evidence to prove Qureshi’s involvement in the corruption scandal.
The arrest of Qureshi has also sparked political tensions in the country, with many opposition parties criticizing the government for what they see as politically motivated arrests. The government, however, has defended its actions, stating that it is committed to eradicating corruption from all levels of government.
The arrest of Qureshi and Khan is a major blow to Pakistan’s political establishment, which has long been plagued by corruption allegations. The government’s actions are seen as a step in the right direction towards cleaning up the country’s political system and restoring public trust in its institutions.
“The court has approved eight days of physical remand of Imran Khan,” a lawyer for the ex-PM told news agency AFP on the phone after an Islamabad court’s closed-door hearing.Shortly before that another court indicted him in the ‘Toshakhana’ corruption case – a separate matter that sees him accused of illegally selling state gifts received during his time as PM (2018-22) and stored in a national treasury.
The NAB has promised to continue its crackdown on corruption, and more arrests are expected in the coming days and weeks. The people of Pakistan are hopeful that this will mark the beginning of a new era of transparency and accountability in the country’s politics.
