Pakistan govt minister on Khan arrest; AP cover

(10 May 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Islamabad - 10 May 2023
1. Wide of a media talk by Government minister Ahsan Iqbal.
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development:
“This is an arrest which was not motivated by political victimization. This was an arrest which was not done at the behest of the government. It is an arrest that was made by the National Accountability Bureau, the institution that is supposed to look after corruption cases in the country.”
3. Mid of briefing
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development:
“As a sportsman, he ought to be championing sportsmen spirit, tolerance and respecting rule of law. But instead he has chosen a path of spreading anarchy, chaos and destruction in the country, only to protect himself from accountability."
5. Mid of reporters
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development:
“This is worst kind of corruption. And he (Imran Khan) did this to gain personal benefits. Everyone knows that he created a trust, with his and his spouse's names as owners and got benefit of huge chunk of land. And there were also audio recordings which talk of some gifts of jewelry which Mr. Imran Kkhan and his wife got from the same person.”
7. Wide of briefing


STORYLINE:
A member of Pakistan's cabinet on Wednesday said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest the previous day was "not motivated by political victimization" and "not done on the behest of the government."

Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning and Development, said that the arrest was in line with the law and made by the independent National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The NAB has detained and investigated former officials, including former prime ministers, politicians and retired military officers.

But some view the NAB as a tool used by those in power, especially the military, to crack down on political opponents.

When Khan was in power, his government arrested Sharif, then the opposition leader, through the NAB.

Shahbaz Sharif was facing multiple corruption cases when he managed to oust Khan in a 2022 no-confidence vote.

The charges were later dropped, citing a lack of evidence.

The current prime minister’s brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also served as prime minister, was arrested several times on corruption allegations.

In a televised address on Wednesday, Iqbal accused Khan of "spreading anarchy, chaos and destruction in the country."

This comes as Pakistan braces for more turmoil a day after Khan was dragged from court in Islamabad and his supporters clashed with police across the country.

The 70-year-old opposition leader is expected in court later Wednesday for a hearing in which a judge will be asked to approve keeping him in custody for up to 14 days.

Khan, who lost power last year but remains the country's most popular opposition figure, is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan.


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