Sharif brothers do politics to promote their business: Imran

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Thursday alleged that the Sharif brothers were weakening the country as they come to power to promote their business.
He also demanded an audit of the Nandipur power project by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as was done in the case of Rental Power Plants (RPPs).
Addressing a press conference, Imran said the Auditor General of Pakistan, in a recent report, disclosed that due to corrupt practices, a huge loss of Rs980 billion had been inflicted on the national exchequer.
Similarly, he said, the Nandipur scam was another glaring example of corruption in the Nawaz Sharif regime, as despite spending Rs82 billion, the project could not continue for even five days. Imran said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif used to make tall claims of ending electricity loadshedding in six months during the PPP government. He said it was time for the nation to choose a new name for Shahbaz Sharif, who had failed to honour his words despite passage of over two years.
Imran said the Sharif government had broken all previous records of corruption and even left behind (the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali) Zardari in corrupt practices.
The PTI chairman said in the Musharraf era, the production of Pakistan Steel Mills was 74 percent and it was earning a profit around 60 percent. But in the PPP government, which came to power in 2008, its production and profit witnessed a drastic fall. However, he said under the Nawaz government, the entire Steel Mills was forced to face a shutdown.
He said it was strange that the mills, owned by the Sharif brothers in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, were making profit, but the national asset in their government was facing a closure. He said it had become obvious that the Sharif brothers only focused on their own business interests and had no concern about the public, which was being forced to pay heavy bills, surcharges and taxes without any benefit in return.
Imran said due to incomplete Neelam Jhelum project, the national exchequer was facing an annual loss of Rs50 billion, and the nation is forced to pay surcharge in the electricity bills.
He said the entire history of Sharif brothers was replete with stories of corruption and alleged that they not only introduced Changa Manga in politics, but also distributed 3,000 plots of Lahore Development Authority among their cronies.
Imran alleged that in two terms as prime minister, Nawaz made billions of rupees in the form of commission in Motorway, getting his loans waived off and selling sugar to India. He said Metro Bus was another example of mega corruption by the Sharif brothers. He said in China and India, similar projects were completed with much lower cost, but in Lahore and Islamabad, the two Metro Bus schemes cost the nation 11 million and 20 million dollars, respectively. The PTI chairman also demanded audit of these two projects.
Imran said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a project of paramount importance, but just to safeguard their business interests, Sharif brothers linked its route to Punjab, rather than a nearest place from China.
Imran said the by-poll in NA-122 had a great significance and alleged that the PML-N would use all tactics to rig the elections. He said without rigging, the PML-N could never win the polls, adding that people would vote for the PTI despite receiving money from the ruling party.