Former Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif and the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Ashiana Housing case. He will be produced before the court tomorrow and until then he will be kept in a high security lock-up inside NAB office Lahore.
The junior Sharif had been accused of being party to a Rs. 14 billion scam involving the Ashiana Housing scheme.
While the details of Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest are still pouring in, Pakistanis have taken to Twitter to react to this surprising twist in the tumultuous year that the Sharif family has had.
The loudest voices so far have come from PML-N supporters who are already aggrieved about the 21 days that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar spent in Adiala Jail recently.
First time in 44 years that any government got a leader of opposition in the parliament #ShahbazSharif arrested. This didn’t happen even in the dark era of Zia or the most internecine politics of 1990s.
Only a puppet and incompetent gov will do that for cheap thrills.#Pakistan— Zulfi Rao (@ZulfiRao1) October 5, 2018
The Politics of victimisation at its worst !
The irony is unmistakable ..#ShahbazSharif #ShehbazSharif #ShehbazArrestByNAB
A new low, how low one can go !!
What a pity, what a shame ..
غالبؔ ہمیں نہ چھیڑ کہ پھر جوش اشک سے
بیٹھے ہیں ہم تہیۂ طوفاں کیے ہوئے۔ pic.twitter.com/Fsq9t09okL— Dr. Adnan Khan | #MendingHearts🫀 (@Dr_Khan) October 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/ForceKhawaja/status/1048177907934216193
PML-N voters are especially upset as there has been no major breakthrough in other high profile cases while the entire state machinery, they feel, is invested in hurting the Sharif family.
Political victimisation at its peak. Information minister Fawad Ch says that he has nothing to do with Musharraf,PTI is silent about Rao Anwar n Ahsan Ullah Ahsan but all they've to do is to take revenge from PMLN. What can they do in favour of country,?? #ShahbazSharif
— Fernando (@HajiSucre) October 5, 2018
Imran Khan should demolish his illegal Bani Gala residence and arrest his sister who has stashed PKR60 billion in Dubai to start with. #ShahbazSharif
— Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan (@afnanullahkh) October 5, 2018
Then there are those who believe the out-of-the-blue arrest is a way of influencing the upcoming by-elections.
Love man..
Shame on you NAB And PTI govt….Insha.Allah election hum e jeeta gay!#ShahbazSharif….#FascistNiaziSharamKaro pic.twitter.com/rlBHTis7kE
— Arslan Chaudhry (@iamArslan10) October 5, 2018
PTI supporters are however, not very far behind. They have already begun celebrating the high profile arrest.
https://twitter.com/mehreen_sabtain/status/1048171444864204800
Shahbaz Sharif Arrested by NAB!! And tomorrow Saad Rafique & Salman Shahbaz due to be arrested!!#ShahbazSharif 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ho5sPNlYg1
— Super M a R i ö 🚭 (@HopeNabeelKhan) October 5, 2018
PTI supporters are considering Sharif’s arrest as a gift for Prime Minister Imran Khan on his birthday, which incidentally coincides with this development.
Pic 1: Birthday cake
Pic 2: Birthday gift#HappyBirthdayPMIK #ShahbazSharif pic.twitter.com/tdeCejyl2u— Kashif Hussain Vistro (@liar_lawyer10) October 5, 2018
Birthday Prime Minister Imran Khan ka hai magar gift Pakistani awaam ko mila hai. Nice. Happy Friday guys 👌#ShahbazSharif
— Maryam (@BefourMaryam) October 5, 2018
The connection between Fridays and the arrest of Sharif family members is also not lost on many Pakistanis.
Another Friday… Another Sharif Down – Opposition Leader #ShahbazSharif arrested. The mysterious hate story between Fridays and Sharifs continue!
— Wajahat Kazmi (@KazmiWajahat) October 5, 2018
What have they done on Jumma .. ?
Shahbaz Sharif gets arrested …. and again it's Jumma😂😩#ShahbazSharif #ShahbazSharif pic.twitter.com/SMBxuee8ZW
— iqra chohan (@iqrachohan13) October 5, 2018
Fridays and chitrol for noonies #ShahbazSharif pic.twitter.com/q6r8cKvBWc
— T (@Chaudharyysaab) October 5, 2018
God! Fridays NEVER disappoint Pakistan! #ShahbazSharif just got ARRESTED by #NAB in Lahore, in the "Ashiana Housing scam case". Let's hope NAB strengthens its muscles & takes him to task FOR ONCE & the road for true transparency & accountability is paved Insha Allah! pic.twitter.com/PfngY4ljCW
— Maleeha Hashmey (@MaleehaHashmey) October 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/sofstb/status/1048182086862086144
Of course, there is no concept of a news this big without the humorists jumping in on the bandwagon.
Patwari condition right now…#ShahbazSharif#JummaMubarak pic.twitter.com/fvj5iLcnyO
— Tayyab Kaleem (@h3y_list3N) October 5, 2018
Lesson: Never shake hands with Imran Khan if you are corrupt.#ShahbazSharif pic.twitter.com/3I2O2DOFL2
— Omer Choudhary (@Omerchoudhary2) October 5, 2018
Pic 1 : FRIDAY for others.
Pic 2 : FRIDAY for Sharif Family. #ShahbazSharif pic.twitter.com/Em5xfFIuzt— Shariq Zahid (@MshariqZ) October 5, 2018
As Pakistanis on both sides of the political divide react to Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest, journalist Zarrar Khuhro summed up the development perfectly with this tweet:
Never a dull day #ShahbazSharif #Sigh
— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) October 5, 2018