It’s not battle against PM only but entire system, says Imran

Urges SC to decide case without forming commission; ‘PM might even invite Donald Trump to rescue him’

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan said on Tuesday he was not fighting a battle with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, rather it was a fight with the entire government machinery, including ministers, who had only one job at hand to rescue him in the PanamaLeaks case.

Talking to the media persons at Banigala after the apex court's hearing, he said the prime minister was being supported by the entire agencies. He said Nawaz had lied to the nation and parliament and now he will have to answer the judges’ questions to prove the trail of money used for buying flats and companies in London.

He urged the Supreme Court bench to itself decide the case early and ‘opposed’ the formation of a commission. Imran maintained that after having accepted the London properties, Nawaz Sharif and his family will have to reply to the judges’ queries.

He claimed it had been proved that they had no proof of the money trail and taking a jibe at Nawaz Sharif said he might even invite US President-elect Donald Trump to rescue him. “God forbid that a new commission is formed with regard to the Panama case. We request the honourable bench to decide the case early so that the country can move forward, which presently faces a standstill. 

We have due regard for the bench and wish it to decide the case, having enough evidence before it; already Panama issue is hovering for the last eight months,” Imran said earlier before going to the apex court.  He pointed out that Hassan Nawaz had sent Rs740 million to the prime minister and paid no tax thereon and this was done through money laundering. 

Imran charged that the money was returned to Pakistan through laundering. He said Hassan was a student in 1999 and Sharif’s Gulf Steel was also running in losses, then where the money was arranged.

Replying to questions, Imran said had Parliament initially agreed on the terms of reference (ToRs), Panama matter would have been decided already through a commission and things would have not reached this stage. 

“We make this request to the bench to decide the case,” he remarked.  At this point, PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the apex court bench itself said that they had given enough opportunity that a commission might be formed, but this could not be done and they had to intervene.

Imran contended that his party had waged a spirited struggle and held public meetings and demonstrations to push for accountability of the prime minister with regard to the Panama Papers case. 

Arriving at the Supreme Court in the morning, Imran said he was going to the apex court to hear new stories of lies about Panama Papers.  He said as per the Qatari letter, money went to Qatar from Dubai and then to Mayfair and that the prime minister had made it clear on the floor of the National Assembly that he was in possession of all the related documents. 

But, he claimed that the prime minister could not prove even one document and there was no money trail. The judges also wondered the movement of money from one place to the other. 

Separately talking to journalists before the court hearing, Qureshi and PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen were quite optimistic that the apex court would decide the case early, as it had entered the final phase. They said they would like to see as to what new logic the prime minister will use to justify the London properties.