LAHORE: PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz severely criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan after a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team grilled her father Nawaz Sharif in jail on Monday for alleged misuse of vehicles purchased for a conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) during his stint as premier.

The two-member NAB team quizzed the former prime minister for two-anda-half-hours in Kot Lakhpat jail, where he is serving a seven-year imprisonment in the Al Azizia Mills corruption case.

A source told Dawn that Mr Sharif insisted upon being given a questionnaire, to which he would reply with the help of his legal counsel. `However, NAB officials engaged him in one or another question related to his (previous) government`s decision to purchase, without paying import duties, 34 bulletproof vehicles from Germany for guests to the Saarc conference,` he said.

These vehicles were allegedly used by Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, according to NAB.

Taking exception to the NAB`s grilling of her f ather (in this case), Maryam Nawaz said: `Nawaz Sharif used bulletproof cars in the capacity of a prime minister. On the other hand, Imran Khan, who was not even part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) government (2013-18), misused its helicopter. No action has been taken against this fake prime minister so far as he appears to be above the law?..

In a series of tweets Maryam furthersaid the bulletproof cars that provided basis to NAB to try to make a case against Nawaz Sharif were now being used by the present premier. `PM Imran Khan, in the hope of securing some aid, even drives one of such cars for someone (a reference to PM Khan`s driving the car for the Saudi crown prince),` she said and wondered whether NAB would like to initiate a probe against Imr an Khan now or would it wait till he leaves of fice.

`Hadrespectbeencommandedthrough any office then Prime Minister Imran Khan today would have been walking in pride. The one who steals people`s votes iscalled a fake prime minister and the one who comes to power through fair ballot is the real prime minister,` Maryam declared.

Federal Information Minister Firdous Ashig Awan hit back at PML-N leaders` assertions with her characteristic acerbity. She said Nawaz Sharif should find Nab`s queries about `misuse` of bulletproof cars `if he has committed no wrong`.

`Hurling allegations at Prime Minister Imran Khan will not help PMLN. The Sharifs are facing the law today because they lived like Mughal kings, Ms Awan said.