Ehtesab of Pak ideology being conducted: Capt Safdar

ISLAMABAD: Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said ehtasab of Pakistan ideology is being conducted and questions are coming from outside.

He said it was not the Ehtesab of Nawaz Sharif but Pakistan ideology as the Panama case was not against Nawaz Sharif but against ideology of Pakistan and against a leader that made Pakistan a nuclear power, the one who made motorways and steered Pakistan away from darkness.

Talking to the media persons after his appearance before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), he said the Panama case was not accountability of Nawaz Sharif but of two-nation theory and still they were standing for the protection of 1973 Constitution.

"The Panama case is against such a person who wants to change the fate of the people of Pakistan by constructing motorways, who wants to break the begging bowl, who wants to make an end to darkness (power loadshedding) and who wants to change the system in this country," he said.

He referred to the statement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and said, "My leader, Nawaz Sharif, has said at this place after his appearance before the JIT that the probing team comprising 200 million Pakistanis would give its decision in 2018 general elections and elect him prime minister for another term."

Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan to keep himself away from the conspiracies against ideology of Pakistan otherwise he (Imran) would be on the wrong side of the history.

Replying to a question, he said that the behaviour of the JIT members was good and they were asking questions that they were receiving from outside the Federal Judicial Academy, adding, "I gave answers to all their questions but I am under moral obligation so I cannot disclose what they asked me."

"I have told the JIT that Captain (R) Safdar, who is son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif, still owns 10-marla house of his father but there is no one who can ask questions from those who own Surrey Palace and no one is taking action against the 'culprit' of the Kargil operation," he said.

He said, "They want to take revenge on Nawaz Sharif but I want to make it clear that it is just an appearance before the probe body but if need arises, I will sacrifice my life for the leader of Pakistan."

To another question, he said when former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National Assembly, he also immediately dismissed him from his job.

"Pervez Musharraf grabbed power through military coup and detained them but now he is happy that he is sacrificing pure blood of his father in the feet of Nawaz Sharif," he said.

Earlier, the JIT interrogated Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar for almost five hours and asked him questions about assets owned by him and his wife Maryam Nawaz as part of the investigation into the PanamaLeaks case, the sources told The News here on Saturday.

When he came out of his car, a large number of the party workers who were outside the Federal Judicial Academy, started raising slogans in favour of the prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He stopped for some moments and waved to the party workers.

The sources said the JIT already received the details of assets of Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) according to which the prime minister’s son-in-law owned more than Rs14.2 million worth of assets in 2016.

Captain (R) Safdar also declared the car worth Rs6 million which his wife Maryam Nawaz received from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of his assets. However, he did not mention any further details of assets of Maryam Nawaz. The value of the car he sold in Saudi Arabia was declared at Rs2 million.

The sources said Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar maintained before the JIT that he provided details of assets owned by him and his wife Maryam Nawaz in his nomination papers before the 2013 general elections and never violated the provisions of the Constitution and the Representation of People’s Act 1976, entailing penal consequences of disqualification from being a member of Parliament.

They said he pointed out that Maryam Safdar had been a regular taxpayer and duly submitted her tax returns with the tax department wherein all the assets and liabilities standing in her name had been duly disclosed before the authorities concerned.

It is pertinent to mention here that Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar earlier submitted an application before the JIT to change the hearing date but the probe body rejected it and directed him to appear before it on June 24.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his two sons and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif have already recorded their statements before the six-member JIT that is mandated by Supreme Court to probe corruption charges against the Sharif family.