Shehbaz lied for more than an hour, says govt

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday held a press conference in Islamabad to provide details of the money-laundering case against Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

Responding to Shehbaz's press conference earlier in the day, Fawad Chaudhry said that "he lied for more than one hour during the briefing". "Shehbaz held a long press conference today but nobody was able to understand what he was trying to say," Fawad said. "He continued to lie throughout the one hour and 10 minutes of the press conference instead of providing answers to the allegations cases against him."

Flanked by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, Fawad Chaudhry said that the "Sharif family has become habitual to distorting the truth." "Unfortunately, fake news was disseminated two days ago and all those involved in publishing the news are well-known to the public for having ties with the Sharif family," he said, according to national media.

“The headlines that were carried (by a media outlet) were part of a fake propaganda,” Fawad Chaudhry maintained, adding that the money-laundering probe initiated against the Sharif family in London was “not started upon the request of the Pakistani government.”

He said that the two-year-long probe by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) was launched into the accounts of a frontman named Zulfiqar Ahmed. “The NCA had started probing the accounts of Zulfiqar Ahmed and Suleman Shahbaz. It was the agency’s own decision (and had nothing to do with the Pakistani government).”

He said that there are two ongoing “ripe” cases against Shehbaz Sharif in Pakistani courts. He said one of the cases was registered by NAB Lahore against Shahbaz Sharif and his family members in reference to Rs7.32 billion.

Fawad Chaudhry said that for the last six months, the court did not have a judge, which allowed Shehbaz to hold press conferences and deliver speeches in the assembly. “It is because the proceedings of these cases are not being held on a day to day basis,” he said. The minister said cases against Shehbaz should be heard on daily basis.

Fawad Chaudhry said that there is another Rs25 billion case against Shehbaz registered by the FIA as a result of the probe carried out by the Sugar Inquiry Commission. The minister said that when the PTI government and Prime Minister Imran Khan talk about accountability and looted wealth, they are only concerned because “this money belongs to the people of Pakistan”.

Farrukh Habib said it would be injustice if Shehbaz was consulted on the appointment of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman. “Can a thief be asked that whom he would like to choose as his investigation officer or in which court he would like to face his trial,” he questioned.

He said Shehbaz had no right to remain opposition leader in the National Assembly as he was accused of committing massive corruption while being into the power in the past. About the proposed use of EVMs in the polls, he said, the government was extending help to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in fulfilling its constitutional duty.