Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday vehemently denied any political motivation behind the arrest of former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan. Addressing a news conference following the high-profile arrest, she stated that the arrest was a result of the court's verdict in the Toshakhana case and had nothing to do with upcoming elections or political vendettas. #Live: Information Minister @Marriyum_A addressing a news conference in Islamabad https://t.co/cmiuib2G9C — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) August 5, 2023 Marriyum clarified that the investigation into Imran Khan's alleged crimes had been ongoing for over a year, with more than 40 hearings conducted in the Toshakhana case. She pointed out that the PTI chairman had only appeared in court three times during this period, despite ample opportunities to provide evidence and respond to allegations against him. The minister emphasised that the court's verdict was based on concrete evidence and that it had successfully proven Imran Khan's offense of corrupt practices, including making and publishing false statements and submitting incorrect declarations related to Form B in the year 2021. Addressing the attempts to link the arrest with politics, Aurangzeb dismissed them as unjustified and stated, "It was a simple case of a thief punished for his crime." She also questioned whether all thieves arrested in various cases, who also happened to be voters, should be released before elections. Also read: Imran arrested from Lahore after court finds him guilty in Toshakhana case Responding to allegations of political bias, Aurangzeb asserted that Imran Khan had been given ample opportunities to clear his name and provide responses to corruption and misuse of power accusations. However, instead of cooperating with the legal process, he incited his supporters to attack national institutions whenever faced with accountability. The minister revealed that Imran Khan had not disclosed correct assets in his income tax returns, declaring only Rs500,000 worth of furniture in his three properties while failing to declare any gold. She also highlighted his questionable actions, such as selling Toshakhana gifts before purchasing them. Aurangzeb further pointed out that comparing Imran Khan's arrest with that of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was unwarranted. Nawaz Sharif had voluntarily presented himself for accountability based on allegations, whereas Imran Khan had been evading it and resorting to dishonesty in his responses, she maintained. Addressing speculations regarding the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, the information minister clarified that no final decisions on agenda items had been taken yet and urged the media to avoid indulging in speculations about the sensitive forum. The information minister stressed that the government's aim was not to arrest Imran Khan politically but to revive the economy, which had suffered during the "incompetent and inefficient" four-year regime of the PTI chairman. She reiterated that the court's verdict was a result of a fair trial, and the government had not arrested Imran Khan when it had the authority to do so earlier if it had any malicious intent.
source https://tribune.com.pk/story/2429405/marriyum-strongly-denies-political-motive-behind-imrans-arrest
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