LAHORE: Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog on Thursday arrested the daughter of the country’s former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, in a corruption reference from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore where she had gone to meet her incarcerated father.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Maryam Nawaz and her a cousin, Yousaf Abbas, in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case in which the two are accused of siphoning off large sums of money.
Previously, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) did not allow Abbas to board a plane and travel abroad since there was a corruption investigation pending against him.
The anti-graft body had issued a notice to Maryam Nawaz, who is also the vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party, in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, asking her for a personal appearance on Thursday, but she decided to go to prison and meet her father instead.
A NAB team arrested her at the gates of the jail when she was on her way back home.
PML- N leaders expressed concern over Maryam Nawaz’s arrest, saying it reflected that the government was afraid of her popularity among the masses since her voice was resonating with people who were attending her rallies and public gatherings in large numbers.
“It’s a cowardly step taken by Imran Khan and a vengeful act. They are afraid of her popularity. The arrest is deplorable,” PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq told Arab News.
NAB believes that Maryam Nawaz and her family used Chaudhry Sugar Mills to launder a significant amount of money. Currently, it is investigating the movement of funds to her personal accounts through telegraphic transfers which came to light when the anti-graft body was investigating former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in the same case.
Reacting to the development, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticized the arrest of the PML-N vice president, saying it was time to show solidarity among all political forces in the country after India deprived Kashmir of its special status, but the government was more interested in politically victimizing its rivals and critics.
“We are criticizing Modi for arresting people,” he said, adding that the administration in Islamabad was also “arresting female members of the opposition.”
The PPP, he added, strongly condemned the act.
Meanwhile, some political analysts believed Maryam Nawaz’s arrest could create further problems for the PML-N.
“The party has undergone a leadership crisis,” senior journalist Syed Shoaib-ud-Din told Arab News. “This arrest can further exacerbate that challenge.”
Pakistan’s anti-corruption body arrests former prime minister’s daughter in graft probe
Pakistan’s anti-corruption body arrests former prime minister’s daughter in graft probe
- Maryam Nawaz’s arrest elicits sharp reaction from the opposition
- PML-N leaders believe the government is afraid of her growing popularity among masses
Pakistan raises fuel prices by Rs55 per liter as Middle East conflict drives oil surge
- Government says adequate fuel stocks in place despite global energy shock
- Oil prices jump from about $78 to over $106 per barrel amid regional conflict
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 ($0.20) per liter each as escalating conflict in the Middle East sent global oil prices sharply higher and disrupted energy supply routes, officials said.
Global oil markets have been rattled since coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran began last week, triggering retaliatory attacks across the region, raising fears of disruption to key energy shipping routes and pushing petroleum prices sharply upward.
The price adjustment in Pakistan was announced after a joint press conference by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, who said the government was monitoring international energy markets and domestic supply conditions amid the crisis.
“So, the decision we have made by changing the levy a little bit is that we are going ahead with increasing the price of both fuels, petrol and diesel, by Rs55 ($0.20),” Malik told reporters.
“And as soon as this matter settles, we will revise the prices downward with the same speed and take steps on how to increase people’s income and purchasing power.”
He said Pakistan entered the crisis with “comfortable energy reserves” due to earlier planning but rising global prices had forced the government to adjust domestic fuel rates to maintain supply continuity.
He said international petrol prices had climbed from roughly $78 per barrel on March 1 to around $106.8 per barrel, while diesel prices had risen to about $150 per barrel.
Malik added that the government had taken steps to minimize the burden on consumers, noting diesel plays a critical role in agriculture, transportation and public mobility.
Malik also warned that authorities would take strict action against anyone attempting to hoard fuel or manipulate supply for profiteering.
The minister said Pakistan was working with international partners to secure additional energy supplies, including arrangements with Saudi Aramco and the use of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation vessels to transport crude oil imports.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb said a high-level government committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been meeting daily to review developments in global petroleum markets and their potential impact on Pakistan’s economy.
“Pakistan currently maintains adequate energy stocks and macroeconomic stability,” Aurangzeb said, adding that the government’s response was based on preparedness rather than panic.
He said the committee, which includes senior ministers, the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and other officials, was assessing short-, medium- and long-term implications of the crisis for inflation, foreign exchange reserves and broader economic indicators.
Deputy PM Dar said the regional conflict had significantly disrupted global energy markets, with international petroleum prices rising by as much as 50–70 percent in recent days.
The deputy prime minister added that Pakistan was also engaged in diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and restoring stability in the region.
Petroleum prices will now be reviewed more frequently, potentially on a weekly basis, and any reduction in global oil prices would be passed on to consumers.
Pakistan, which relies heavily on imported fuel to meet its energy needs, is particularly vulnerable to global oil price shocks that can quickly feed into inflation and pressure the country’s external accounts.
