'If you consider appearing before law dishonourable, you have no regard for law': info minister

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Shibli Faraz has responded to PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb's media talk from a day earlier in which she had spoken out against NAB's summoning of party president Shehbaz Sharif.

She portrayed it to be a case "as if a very virtuous, innocent and honest man has been humiliated," said Faraz of Aurangzeb's briefing.

He said that if Shehbaz Sharif has been summoned by NAB, then it is because NAB is an institution in pursuit of the implementation of law in the land. "If you consider appearing before the law an act which tarnishes your reputation then that means you have no regard for the law.

"We know that they have no respect for the law because if they did, they would not have done the things they did while in power," he said. "They gave the impression that they were above the law."

Slamming the PML-N leadership, he said they have a "monarch mindset" and that only in a "monarchy do the kings not appear before the law". He regretted how democracy "was just for a show" during the PML-N's tenure.

"It's very unfortunate that they [PML-N] are challenging the law and not appearing before it respectfully," he said.

"Everyone knows how you looted the nation's money and how you transferred all of your assets abroad," he said, adding: "This is the reason why the health system has collapsed."

Faraz said that Nawaz Sharif along with his family was residing in London, while the nation was facing hard times.

Furthermore, he said that Shehbaz, who came back to Pakistan to stand with the people, was monitoring them through a monitor screen that he could have done while remaining in London.

"People have decided that they do not want to live in the old Pakistan, where a family ruled the country only to benefit themselves," he said.

Informing about the decision made in the cabinet he said that the approval for exporting local hand sanitiser was given.

Meanwhile, he said that Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had informed the cabinet that a meeting comprising of all the chief ministers would take place tomorrow [Wednesday] to decide on how to ease the lockdown after May 9.

Talking about the post-lockdown strategy he said: "The prime minister's focus from day one was on the people who are [financially] vulnerable — the daily wagers."

"Whenever the lockdown eases, people should follow the SOPs and safety measures because we cannot afford a relapse of the pandemic," he said.

"China was able to stem the spread of the virus because the political system of the country is different, we cannot apply the same strategy here," Faraz said.

"Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar had informed the cabinet that nearly eight million families are being provided financial aid" under the Ehsaas Programme, Faraz added.