Sugar scam: Delay in final report’s release govt’s admission of guilt, says Shahbaz Sharif

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif Sunday termed the three-week delay in release of final report on sugar scam an admission of guilt on the part of Imran Khan government.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said the delay was a cover-up job by Imran Khan for his corrupt acts and an effort to protect the real culprits of the sugar and wheat theft.

Shahbaz said the cabinet, chair of the ECC and those who approved the subsidy were the real culprits in the case. “Imran Niazi and Usman Buzdar are the chief criminals in this case,” he stressed. He said the delay in release of the final report was a stamped proof of Rs100-billion robbery on the country’s sugar.

The PML-N president said Imran Niazi could neither hide his heinous crimesnor the truth from the nation, by postponing the final report. The people of Pakistan knew pretty well who robbed them of their sugar, he added. He said there was no need for any further inquiry or forensic report.

Shahbaz said the inquiry commission was not impartial because the members of the committee were members of the inquiry commission. He demanded that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khurram Dastgir Khan should be given their legal right to appear before the commission. This, he said, would expose the real culprits in this mega corruption scandal.

Separately, PML-N Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said that wheat and sugar thieves are creating false hoopla against Shahbaz Sharif to distract people’s attention from their proven and unforgivable corruption.

Responding to a statement issued by Firdous Ashiq Awan here on Sunday, Marriyum said the looters of public wheat and sugar were infuriated and whining over the truth told by Shahbaz Sharif regarding their heinous acts. “This is a classic case of pot calling the cattle black. But this theft by the incompetent, corrupt and failed government cannot be hidden with such distractions,” she added. Marriyum said, “Imran and his entire administration are not even interested in the fight against coronavirus while hundreds get infected with the fatal disease every day.” He, instead, was only interested in his vengeful persecution of Shahbaz Sharif, she added.