Asks Nawaz to resign, show proof of his innocence
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has reiterated his threat to stage the next sit-in outside the Raiwind residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, instead of Islamabad, if transparent investigations into the PM’s family members’ assets in offshore companies were not held.
“This time we will take the workers of PPP and PML-N along to launch an anti-government movement and stage a sit-in at Raiwind for which preparations have already been started,” he said while addressing the media after the meeting of PTI’s parliamentary party here on Friday evening.
Imran said details of the proposed sit-in and its strategy would be disclosed at a public meeting of the party scheduled to be held on April 24. Imran said the Panama Papers had Imran said Panama Papers have proved beyond doubts that PML-N leadership and family of prime minister were involved in massive plundering of public wealth, adding if Sharif brothers got away with this issue it would mean a big defeat of the opposition parties.
Imran said offshore money came from the huge foreign loans taken by the rulers in the name of development. He recalled that during the present tenure of PML-N, the amount of foreign loan on every Pakistani citizen had risen from Rs 35,000 to Rs 120,000 which was a staggering huge amount. He said rulers’ corruption and foreign loans were crushing the poor masses under heavy burden of price-hike since new taxes were imposed on them for paying back those loans which were never spent on them.
Imran asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign himself since he (PM) had lost moral standing to rule the country after exposure of his family’s corruption. He cited the example of Iceland’s premier who resigned after surfacing of Panama Papers, but wondered why the cabinet members of prime minister were busy in defending him, while he has keeping quiet. He said Iceland and UK premiers themselves replied to the allegations against them except Nawaz Sharif who was accusing PPP and Shaukat Khanum hospital instead of showing proofs of his innocence and showing from where such huge money was earned by his children.
Imran also criticized the state TV channel for not airing the speeches of opposition leaders in National Assembly on Panama Papers issue. He said PTV was not a property of rulers but was funded by public money. He said if PM addressed on PTV to clarify allegations against him and his family then I (Imran) should also be given equal chance to address the nation on PTV so that I should show the nation the counter view of PM’s address. He said Bilawal should keep in mind that PPP was the second largest political party in parliament and therefore it was its right to address on PTV to counter PM’s narrative on Panama Papers.
Earlier, the PTI parliamentary party in its meeting passed a resolution for launching anti-government movement at the April 24 public meeting, besides increasing protests inside and outside the parliament against the rulers.
Online adds: Meanwhile, talking to the media in Islamabad, Imran said Pakistan foreign debts have exceeded Rs 21 trillion from five trillion during the last 10 years while the ruling family has stashed billions of rupees in offshore companies. Imran said the PML-N leaders were trying to silent the opposition by calling them corrupt.
He said Nawaz Sharif’s son lives in a house worth 650 crore in London’s Hyde Park and he must explain where he got the money to buy the residence. We have declared all assets of Shaukat Khanum and my assets are also put on website, the PTI chairman said. He said ministers were trying to hide corruption of their leader, adding the PTV is not the propaganda cell of the PMLN and it should have telecast his speech.
Our Okara Correspondnet adds: Pakistan Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq Friday while addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of re-construction of the Okara Railway Station titled as Model Railway Station (MRS), criticised PTI chief Imran Khan and gave him the title of Pawiter Khan. He advised the PTI chief to continue with his activities of singing and dancing. The minister warned Imran not have the slightest idea of turning to the path to Raiwind, as Banni Gala was not out of access of any Pakistani. He defended the prime minister’s sons, saying that their offshore companies were legal as these were raised after selling the Sharifs’ steel mill in Saudi Arabia.
He reminisced that even Imran had himself acknowledged that he had constructed Banni Gala enclosure comprising 310 kanal after selling the flats of London. Imran Khan would have account for that.
He said more than 75 per cent power demand would be met before 2018. The minister said completion of the CPEC, generation of sufficient electricity, development of solar energy system, communications, health and education are targets of the government and these targets would be achieved at all cost.
In another development the Pakistan Awami Tehreek Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur on Friday said the Sharifs had spent their entire life taking and forming commissions, adding that it seemed the decision would have to be taken on the streets.
Talking to a lawyers’ delegation, he said the involvement of the ruling family in the Panama Leaks could not go unheard and the culprits must be given severe punishment. He said investigation had been launched against all those involved in the scandal around the world and the same should happen in Pakistan.