PML-N beneficiary of foreign funding, not PTI: Shahbaz Gill

LAHORE: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was beneficiary of foreign funding and it must account for the funds it received from abroad.Addressing a press conference at the Governor’s House here on Saturday, he said the opposition parties were recipients and distributors of unexplained amounts and the opposition leadership was morally and legally bound to explain this to the nation.

Gill said Pakistan PTI received some funding from expatriate Pakistanis in small amounts of 10, 20 and 100 dollars but the real beneficiaries of actual foreign funding were the opposition parties. He said Maryam Nawaz and other corrupt politicians cannot dupe the public anymore, adding that they must account for the money transacted through fake accounts of “almost 15000 of their employees”.

He said since the Broadsheet verdict was written in English, PML-N leadership planned to “declare victory” to hoodwink public, forgetting the verdict could be translated into Urdu as well. Shahbaz Gill said the government will officially write to UK based law-firm Broadsheet to collect all information about Nawaz Sharif’s assets from the company so that the looters in the garb of so-called leaders could be exposed before the masses fully.

He said he was amazed at the impudence and shamelessness of the convicted opposition leaders like Shahbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, who made victory signs while appearing in courts, adding that he personally felt embarrassed on being merely summoned by the honorable court in a case.

Shahbaz Gill said he had lodged forgery cases against the culprits because the company’s power of attorney holders were not authorised to transact any legal business, besides one of the complainants was abroad and his signatures were forged to lodge an FIR against him.

To a question, the SAPM said he was facing a trial for pointing out theft of public money in the Metro Bus project, adding it was not something he did in his personal capacity. He said he would face the trial and vowed to expose those corrupt leaders, who caused huge financial loss to the national exchequer.

Gill clarified that he did not have any differences with Nadeem Afzal Chan.

On Maryam-Shahbaz meeting in the court, the SAPM said Maryam Nawaz had usurped ‘political inheritance’ of Hamza Shahbaz and Shahbaz Sharif, and the expression of love before public was a mere eye wash. He alleged that due to treachery of Maryam, Shahbaz Sharif has been forced to surrender all powers in the party.

“Maryam Nawaz visits courts in order to get more media exposure as there is no love lost between the two families”, Gill responded.

To a query, he said Turkey was very close to his heart and he harboured immense respect for Maulana Rumi, a great devotee of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) whose last resting abode was in Turkey.

To a question, he said the sugar-cane growers were provided relief during present government, adding that “It has been for the first time in country’s history that sugar-mills owners have paid the farmers in-time and the have got a good price for the crop without delay”.

To another query, he said, “It is a long journey” but PM Imran Khan will ensure relief to all sections of society”, adding that “Rome was not built in a day and PTI government should be given time to set things right”.

On PIA plane’s grounding in Malaysia, the SAPM said the PIA, in an effort to control undue expenditures, had asked for relief in lease payments as revenues had fallen due to air travel bans during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that,” leasing company had refused to provide any relief in our case although companies had provided relief all over the world”. — APP

Our correspondent adds; SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, in her statement, said PDM is aggrieved over the flop show on resignations and the long march.

“Now everyone in the PDM is playing their own trumpet. There is a rift between the princess, prince and Maulana,” She said and added this gang of hypocrites will never resign. Thieves and looters cannot take out long march.

She said these people will contest by-elections and participate in Senate elections as well. She said that people are enjoying the jokes of political clowns. PDM elements should be ashamed of themselves.

The negative politics of those who scored political points on corona have come to its logical end.