None asked for NRO for Nawaz nor one will be given: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday claimed that a scion of Sharif family had approached an Arab head of state for rescue but he refused to intervene, terming it an internal matter of Pakistan.

He said this while addressing a parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House. Khan said he feared that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might interfere but he too didn’t talk about Sharifs during the whole interaction with him.

Imran made it clear that neither anyone had approached him for the so-called National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) nor he would grant it come hell or high water. “The opposition is at liberty to take out any number of processions, protests or sit-ins. We will compete with them through our performance.”

The meeting devised a strategy to secure smooth passage of the federal budget 2019-2020 from the National Assembly. No official briefing was given to the media about the meeting but sources told The News that the prime minister was confident about the passage of budget and discarded the opposition leaders’ contention about the budget proposals. The prime minister appreciated his economic team for preparing and presenting the budget.

The sources said the prime minister reiterated that the opposition could stage protests but the government would respond to them through performance. “No one has approached me for an NRO directly, as everyone knows that I will not make any compromise on corruption cases,” sources quoted him as saying. The meeting, attended by the PTI allies except the Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal), discussed the overall political situation and the budget strategy.

The PTI is hopeful that it will ultimately settle things with the BNP-Mengal besides mustering its support for the budget. Commenting on the prevailing economic situation in the country, Imran was quoted by the sources as saying, “The government has determined the economic direction and Pakistan is coming out of the financial crisis.”

He urged the parliamentarians to run an awareness campaign and urge people to come forward and pay their taxes. “Parliamentarians must inform the nation about the people who have pushed Pakistan to the verge of economic crisis,” he added. “Budget approval is a legal requirement; all the parliamentarians should ensure their presence in the assembly for it,” the premier added.

Ever since the PTI came to power and stepped up the accountability drive against the opposition parties, the prime minister has time and again stated that he will not give anyone relief in graft and embezzlement cases.