Daily Mail apology: Imran, Shahzad Akbar should hang heads in shame, says Nawaz Sharif

LONDON: Following the decision in a defamation case in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s favour, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo and the premier’s elder brother Nawaz Sharif has said that former prime minister Imran Khan, his party and former accountability adviser Shahzad Akbar should hang their heads in shame after Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation case victory.

“Imran Khan, his party and [former federal minister] Shahzad Akbar should hang their heads in shame after Daily Mail’s apology,” Nawaz said in a video statement released after the settlement agreed at the UK High Court.

PM Shehbaz Sharif had a massive defamation case victory in London High Court against Associated Newspapers Ltd (publishers of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday) over an article published by reporter David Rose, on Friday.

The UK publication apologised to PM Shehbaz and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf, removing the defamatory article. The Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) also promised it will never repeat these false allegations at any forum and has already worked with Google to remove all articles carrying Daily Mail’s article. The PMLN supremo said that Akbar made a false accusation at the behest of the PTI chief. “Britain’s biggest newspaper Daily Mail issued an apology on this accusation due to lack of evidence,” said Nawaz.

He added that they also levelled accusations of money laundering, corruption, commissions, kickbacks, funds and misuse of office against PM Shehbaz. Nawaz said the National Crime Agency gave a clean chit to PM Shehbaz after investigating. “Neither does the PML-N nor does the PTI rule in Britain. It is a democratic country where the people rule and that country’s newspaper has made an apology. What is greater proof of someone’s innocence?” the former premier asked.

Criticising the PTI leadership, Nawaz said that these people became the reason for the country’s disgrace abroad. “Justice Shaukat Siddiqui, judge Arshad Malik and Saqib Nisar’s leaked audios proved our innocence,” he said. He added that Khan was accused of corruption which has been proven.

“A person involved in corruption from head to toe is levelling allegations against those who got evidence of [their] innocence from UK’s courts and governments,” Nawaz said. He said the Pakistani nation should understand all this in depth. He said that the PMLN leaders keep getting booked in cases without reason and that he was exiled for no reason.

“A hijacking case was also filed against me. I was disqualified for not receiving a salary from my son. A prime minister elected by 240 million people was disqualified for not receiving a salary of 10,000 riyals,” he said.

Moving on to the economic crisis and rise in inflation in Pakistan, the PML-N supremo said the previous government made the situation so bad that poor can’t even feed their children.

“Pakistan was moving towards heights at a great pace in 2017,” Nawaz said, adding that the prices of basic food items and commodities were nothing as compared to now.

He said that the PMLN government is the one that met Pakistan’s electricity shortfall, led the country to progress, constructed motorways and made the country an atomic power.

He said the PMLN’s services in every sector are in front of everyone but what can be done if anyone doesn’t want to admit to it.

Continuing his criticism of PTI, Nawaz said that not a single project can be named for which the former premier laid the foundation himself or a project they can proudly say they started and completed.