PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday placed before the National Assembly speaker a reference seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for ‘breaching’ public trust and allegedly engaging in money laundering, tax evasion and election rigging.
The opposition party filed the reference against PM Nawaz, who heads the mainstream faction of the Pakistan Muslim League, after the ruling party asked the NA speaker to disqualify PTI chief Imran Khan through a similar reference.
PTI to file reference for PM Nawaz’s disqualification
In its reference, the PTI has alleged that Nawaz concealed his property outside Pakistan, evaded taxes, engaged in money laundering and abuse of SRO culture, got Rs6.146 billion of loans waived and received benefits without authority by misusing his position as chief minister and prime minister.
It has also alleged that he submitted a false statement about assets in his nomination papers for elections, not disclosing pendency of criminal references, misusing the official sources, engaging in favouritism and nepotism, doing massive rigging in various general elections, breaching confidentiality of agreement and violating the Constitution, etc.
The reference was filed on behalf of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and was signed by several party members.
The 15-page reference has given a detailed account of the Sharif family’s business empire and quoted the purported agreement the family had with former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf before leaving the country for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the 1999 coup.
“His case is covered by Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, violation of Representation of Peoples Act 1976, violation of Income Tax Act, Wealth Tax Act, Foreign Exchange Regulation, etc. Therefore it is imperative to send reference to the Election Commission of Pakistan inter alia on the questions raised herein,” it contended.
The reference has given a list of 43 bank accounts of the family and tax paid by the prime minister from 1981 to 2010. The PM did not pay any tax in 1994-95, 1998-99, said the reference.
The reference claims the PM is no more ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’, as defined in Article 62 of the Constitution. “Whether in view of disregard and violation of law and various Articles of the Constitution, can Nawaz Sharif be trusted with and allowed to remain a member of the National Assembly and the prime minister of Pakistan and run affairs of the state in accordance with the Constitution and the law?” it asked.
Lawmakers’ disqualification: PM’s son-in-law questions ECP jurisdiction
The PTI had also quoted the Supreme Court’s judgment in case of Zafar Ali Shah vs Pervez Musharraf and said the “documents and record established corruption and corrupt practices” of the PM and the judgment holding uncontroverted facts is still holding the field.
Meanwhile, former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s Pakistan Justice Democratic Critic Party was denied a meeting with the speaker for submission of a similar reference seeking disqualification of the PM. Later, Chaudhry sent a letter to the speaker for his “alleged discriminatory attitude towards his party.”
During the proceedings on Monday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan responded to the concerns raised by members from tribal areas in particular regarding the treatment being meted out to Afghan refugees. A number of MPs said Pakistan was wasting all what it did for the Afghan refugees in the last 40 years.
Nisar said there were around 3.5 refugees and their issue had been discussed during the security meeting held at the PM house. “There should be a national policy over the issue instead of every province having its own line,” he added.
He said t the meeting will take up this matter again for formulation of a national policy.
Earlier, the house passed The Members, Election Commission (Salary, Allowances, Perks and Privileges) Bill 2016 amid stiff resistance from the PTI. The bill gives legal cover to the salaries and allowances paid to the ECP members since June 2011.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2016.
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