We’ll win, I congratulate in advance, says Imran

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that his party would win in the Supreme Court against the Sharif family in the Panama Papers case and that he congratulates the people in advance.

Talking to the media at the Chairman Secretariat during his visit to Lahore, Imran said that not democracy but a mafia was under threat now. He said the Pakistan Muslim League-N was raising hue and cry that democracy was under threat in the country. He asked Nawaz Sharif to stop hiding behind democracy.

The PTI chairman said that he was happy that the Supreme Court had termed Nawaz Sharif mafia and godfather. He said that misfits have been appointed in the institutions of Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif has appointed his loyalists to key posts in all important institutions and departments to safeguard his interests. But now no one could save him from accountability and punishment, he added.

He said that those who received funds from al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden to topple an elected government of Benazir Bhutto and those who were fostered by Gen Jilani and Gen Ziaul Haq were teaching the PTI about democracy.

He regretted that the ministers, who were drawing salaries from the public money, were busy in defending Nawaz Sharif in a criminal investigation case. He claimed that the Sharif family would ‘celebrate’ the next Eid in Adiala Jail if it failed to answer 13 queries, posed by the Supreme Court.

He also termed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain two sides of the same coin, “as both have caused huge loss to Pakistan”. Imran said the letter from Qatari prince was used as defence for the Sharif family in the Panama case, but the SC had rejected it after the prince didn’t appear before the court. He said that nothing could save the Sharif family from punishment now.

He said under the vision of Nawaz Sharif, construction of roads and bridges was ‘New Pakistan’, but for him the ‘New Pakistan’ meant a society based on equality and justice. He said after the Panama verdict, the PTI would start preparations for the next elections, adding that the party tickets would be issued to 900 candidates and he himself would decide about every candidate on the basis of recommendation from the parliamentary board.

The PTI leader said the Sharif family and their supporters had distributed sweets after the SC decision in Panama case in April, in which two judges disqualified them and three ordered further probe into the scam. He said Sharifs were expecting the Joint Investigation Team would be influenced by them and, when they failed to do so, a campaign was launched against it.

He said Sharifs had always tried to buy loyalties and damage institutions, as they were involved in an attack on the SC and hatching a conspiracy to garner support of judges of Balochistan High Court against Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. He said Sharifs also received funds from the ISI.

Criticising Railway Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique, Imran Kan said he had no acumen to say anything over Panama case as he himself accumulated wealth through the sale of prize bonds.

Imran said had the Raymond Davis episode occurred in the Musharraf era, his government would have been responsible for it. However, he said the release of Raymond Davis took place under a civil administration and the civil government was responsible for it.

Senior PTI leaders including Jehangir Tareen, Shafqat Mehmood, Fawad Chaudhry, Jamshed Cheema and others were also present on the occasion.

INP adds: Imran Khan said the Sharif family had never been held accountable in the past. They had signed a 10 years deal with Musharraf to stop him from pursuing cases against them.

Imran said that the Sharifs were given a ministry for the first time for constructing a house for Gen (retd) Jilani. PM Nawaz had also tried to bribe former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asif Nawaz Janjua by gifting him a BMW (car).