Islamabad: PTI chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday that in a genuine democratic political party there could be no room for electing a leader for life, referring to PML-N central working committee’s decision to elect Nawaz Sharif as the party quaid for life.
Speaking to the media, Khan said that Nawaz Sharif spoke against Pervez Musharraf, while former president Ziaul Haq was acceptable to him.
Commenting on PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s earlier statement that he would not work under Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, the PTI chairman said Nisar had maintained his dignity by denying to work under Maryam Nawaz.
Khan said the Sharif brothers had been plundering the nation’s wealth through their corrupt practices for decades. “Shahbaz Sharif has spent Rs 9 trillion in nine year [in his tenure as Chief Minister Punjab],” he claimed, saying that Sharifs undertook mega projects to receive heavy kickbacks.
Deploring the passage of a resolution against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Punjab Assembly, Khan said the entire nation was condemning the resolution.
“Are they [Sharif brothers] above the law,” he asked.
Separately, the PTI chairman expressed his frustration on the delay of NAB’s action on the PTI’s plea against Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif’s alleged involvement in money laundering and corruption. “We have brought undeniable proofs against him [Asif] on the record,” Imran said, adding that the bureau’s silence despite proofs of money laundering and corruption against the foreign minister was inexplicable.
He expressed these views following a meeting with PTI leader Usman Dar, who lost the election against Asif in a National Assembly constituency from Sialkot in 2013.
He said that Dar and other PTI workers would soon approach the bureau with proofs of banking transactions against Asif and his wife.
“We hope NAB will soon take up legal proceedings against Asif,” he said, adding that the accountability of those who were looting the taxpayers’ money was necessary.
“After the judiciary, the nation’s hopes are associated with the accountability institution.”
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to hear Asif’s Iqama case on March 1. Dar had petitioned the IHC against a foreign work permit of the minister.
Published in Daily Times, March 1st 2018.
