By Muhammad Luqman
Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has threatened to resign after he and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders were barred from entering an accountability court trying deposed premier Nawaz Sharif, according to media report.
Iqbal, Talal Chaudhry, Pervaiz Rashid, Raja Zafarul Haq and Danial Aziz were accompanying the deposed premier for his second appearance before a NAB court. However, only Nawaz was allowed entry inside the court premises on Monday morning.
Speaking to the media outside the court, Iqbal said, “This morning the chief commissioner informed me Rangers have taken control of the command and barred entry to anyone except Nawaz Sharif.”
Claiming that closed door trials were only held during martial law, the interior minister announced strict action against those who “challenged the writ of the government.” Iqbal said, “Rangers is a force under the Interior Ministry and are supposed to work under the command of the civil administration.”
Iqbal further announced, “I will resign as interior minister if not established who deployed Rangers as they’re supposed to be taking orders from me.” He added, I cannot be a puppet interior minister.”
“There can’t be a state within state”, the interior minister said while adding that it is Nawaz Sharif’s right to go inside with his lawyers and aides.
Nawaz had briefly appeared before the court on September 26, a day after returning from London where his wife is undergoing treatment for lymphoma.
The ousted PM and his family face three corruption references filed against them by NAB on the orders of the apex court, which had disqualified Nawaz in its July 28 Panama Papers verdict. The references pertain to London’s Avenfield flats, Flagship Investment Limited and 15 other companies as well as al-Azizia Company Limited and Hill Metals Establishment.
