2018 so far has not been the year of the Sharifs. Neither has 2017 for that matter. From Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification in 2017 to the consequent arrest and jailing of him and daughter Maryam Nawaz in a NAB corruption case, all the way to Shahbaz Sharif’s latest arrest, things have been more than shaky for the family. Not to mention the unfortunate demise of former first lady Kulsoom Nawaz while the father-daughter duo was in jail. It was a painful culmination of a terrible year. Former Punjab chief minister and current president of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Shahbaz Sharif has been arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its Lahore office in the Rs14 billion Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme case. He is reportedly being held in a highly secure lock-up inside the NAB office until his appearance in court, which is scheduled for today.
Even if one wants to, the glaringly obvious similarity between Nawaz’s arrest months before the General Elections and Shahbaz’s mere weeks before the by-elections cannot be ignored.
To that end, the PML-N leaders have called this arrest PTI’s revenge ploy. Nawaz Sharif while commending his little brother’s work as CM in Punjab, has stated that the arrest is the ‘worst revenge’ of the current government and that they should not put the blame of their own incompetence on Shahbaz. As usual, Twitter was flooded with thought-provoking responses. But there was no shortage of witty commentary either. Whether it is PTI’s #SaraTabarChorHai campaign or the simple #ShahbazSharifArrested commentary, the war is on.
Here are the top gems, both thought-provoking and some not so much, from this political debacle:
So what birthday gift is more enticing for PM Imran Khan? Is #ShehbazSharif the cake or the icing on the cake? — Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) October 5, 2018
Happy Birthday, Khan Sahab? We think.
“Shehbaz Teri parwaz se jalta hai Zamana” #ShehbazSharif — Alamin Amer Khan (@AlaminAmerKhan) October 6, 2018
Umm, what? (for those who don’t know that’s a spin on Allama Iqbal’s infamous poetry)
My sources tell me that #ShehbazSharif was arrested after a disgruntled Maryam Nawaz asked her blue eyed boy Fawad Hassan Fawad to become an informer against him, Apparently Maryam sought revenge for the arrest of her & her father from Shehbaz Sharif, she kept blaming him. — Farhan Khan Virk (@FarhanVirkPTI) October 5, 2018
Conspiracy conspiracy, everywhere.
Before general elections 2018 they arrested Nawaz sharif.
And now Before by elections 2018 they’ve arrested shehbaz sharif.
After general election Nawaz sharif was released from jail.
and After by elections 2018 shehbaz will be release.#ShehbazSharif#FascistNiaziSharamKaro — Atif Zia khan- (@Atifzia02) October 5, 2018
Kudos to this guy for daring to use the theory of fascism in describing Khan’s government.
Either you completely accept every decision made by the courts and NAB or you don’t accept any of their decisions. Don’t be a Lota and accept what suits you. #PTIGovt #ShehbazSharifArrested #pt — Haris Yaqoob (@harisyaqooob) October 5, 2018
That is throwing some serious shade, perhaps at the recent Tareen verdict.
100 روزہ پروگرام کی ناکامی پرحکومت ایسے قدم اٹھا رہی ہے۔ اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی کی کی اجازت کے بغیر شہباز شریف کی گرفتاری پارلیمان کی توہین ہے۔ — Syed Khursheed Shah (@S_KhursheedShah) October 5, 2018
An opposition leader from the PPP, Khursheed Shah does have a point here. Lately, all PTI is doing is deflecting on their own 100-day plan.
A sportsman always shake hands before the match #ShehbazSharifArrested pic.twitter.com/EyeaJiduhi — funnyn’t (@GhabranaNahiiHy) October 5, 2018
All we can say is: Whoops!