Imran accuses Punjab CM of receiving kickbacks on development projects

Shahbaz Sharif hits back, files Rs26 billion lawsuit against PTI chairman

As the Nov 2 Islamabad ‘lockdown’ is coming closer, leaders of the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are coming up with fresh accusations. PTI chairman Imran Khan has now accused Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of receiving kickbacks on development projects through a frontman.

“Javed Sadiq, a Canadian citizen, is seen in numerous meetings with Shahbaz Sharif... he [Punjab CM] receives kickbacks through him,” Imran told journalists in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The PTI chief claimed Sadiq had so far received Rs15 billion as commission and consultancy charges in several provincial projects, and is due to get another Rs10 billion or so.



Imran said people were highlighting Sharif brothers' 'corruption' as his party’s planned lockdown of the capital was approaching, adding "he will expose more such incidences in the coming days".

Earlier, addressing members of the Islamabad High Court Bar, the PTI chief said Pakistan is a great nation but being "ruled by the corrupt". Only an independent judiciary could save the country from rulers' corruption, he added.

[/fbvideo]

Shahbaz hits back, files Rs26 billion lawsuit against Imran

Hitting back at Imran, the Punjab chief minister filed a lawsuit of Rs26 billion against the PTI chairman.

“If I am proven guilty of corruption, me and my offspring will leave politics,” he announced in a news conference, adding he had sent a legal notice to Imran.

Shahbaz stoutly denied Imran’s allegations that Sadiq, employee of a Chinese company, had ever been his ‘front man’.

“We launched country’s first solar power plant in Bahawalpur and during the bidding Javed failed to win it. If he had been my front man, why didn’t his company win the bid?” asked Shahbaz.

The chief minister added that Imran was perturbed by progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is why he wanted to ‘shut down the country’.

“They [PTI leaders] are running away from elections. If they had any reason for holding protest, it should have gone by now after SC taking its notice,” he said.