LAHORE: Former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced appearing before the federal anti-corruption court on Aug 31 in the Trade Development Authority (TDAP) cases, saying he leaves it to his party leadership what position it adopts in the wake of ‘unjust’ action against its leaders.

Expressing wonder over his non-bailable warrants, Gilani said: “Earlier I had appeared before the court in TDAP cases and the judge granted him bail and appreciated his appearance despite being a former prime minister,” he said while talking to Dawn here on Thursday.

Taunting the government, Mr Gilani said: “The PML-N government should not take pain in arresting him to produce before the court. Like in the past I will appear in court on Aug 31. I want to tell the government and others that I will face the cases. I had faced the Saifur Rehman courts and underwent five-year imprisonment in fake cases. My mother and sister died while I was in jail, but I did not beg for any mercy,” he said.

The federal anti-corruption court on Thursday also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for another PPP stalwart Makhdoom Amin Fahim. The order was issued after the FIA presented a charge-sheet with 12 new cases (relating to a multi-billion rupee scandal in the TDAP) registered against the two.

The former premier questioned as how a prime minister could be involved in a case of the department that had head, secretaries and auditors. “They are trying to pass the buck on me. We have committed no corruption,” he said.

To a question whether his party would review its reconciliation policy towards the PML-N, Mr Gilani said: “It is up to the leadership (Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto) what position it takes in the wake of on-going action against its leaders on one pretext or another,” he said.

With the 12 new cases registered against the two PPP leaders by the FIA, the total cases registered against Gilani and Fahim in the TDAP scandal come to 24.

Dr Asim Hussain, a former federal minister and a close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, has been arrested by Rangers.

The PPP circles in Punjab have expressed serious concern over what they call it a “victimization campaign against its leaders”. The PPP Punjab has also asked the leadership to review its reconciliation policy with the PML-N.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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