PTI mulling resigning en mass, says Imran Khan

Says he is presenting second episode of 'mujhe kyun nikala', claims Sharif family own 16 offshore companies

ISLAMABAD: Defending his harsh criticism of parliament, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday said an intra-party debate was going on over whether to exercise the option of tendering en masse resignations from parliament or not.

“A debate is going on within the PTI over the issue of resigning [en mass] from parliament,” Khan said while addressing a news conference on Thursday.

He however hastened to add that a final decision had not been taken yet. The PTI chairman also presented some fresh documents, suggesting the Sharif family’s alleged involvement in money laundering.



Later, a senior party leader said that the resignation option would be discussed during the party’s central executive committee meeting scheduled to be held on January 23 in Islamabad.

“I used mild word (curse on parliament). I intended to use rather some harsher words against all those looters sitting inside parliament (lawmakers) and protecting a proven criminal (Nawaz Sharif),” Khan told the media when asked if he was ready to take back his criticism of parliament he did during a public gathering in Lahore on January 17 (Thursday).

Parliament was just a building, Khan contended, adding it was the parliamentarians who make that building worthy to be praised or cursed.

“I used that word for parliament that enacted a law which gives freedom to a criminal and money launderer to lead a political party, the ruling party.

“Can someone quote a single precedent from across the world where legislators, who are responsible to protect public’s rights, voted in favour of usurper of public money?” Khan asked while refusing to take back his statement.

“How come I respect parliament that was in control of a mafia and criminals?” Khan continued.

He said it was the same parliament where former prime minister openly lied on the floor of the house about his businesses’ money trail while former law minister gave contradictory statements about the amendment in the Khatm-e-Nabuwaat clause.

“Parliament is indeed degraded by the persons like Khawaja Asif, Nawaz Sharif, Zahid Hamid, and above all the custodian of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, who on multiple occasions showed his biasness,” Khan added.

Strongly criticising Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Khan said he was a security risk and added soon the PTI would furnish details how he was laundering money to the US in the accounts of his wife.



Fresh evidence against Sharifs

A few hours before addressing Thursday’s new conference, the PTI chief had tweeted, “Fasten your seatbelts as I will be making explosive revelations in my press conference this afternoon!”

Later in the afternoon, he claimed that the PTI had obtained fresh documentary evidence proving money laundering transactions amounting to Rs600 million among members of the Sharif family, employees of their business entities, and Sharif’s domestic workers at Jati Umrah.

He said fresh details have proven that money had been routed through the Hill Metal Establishment in Saudi Arabia owned by Nawaz Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz.

Khan said already transactions amounting to Rs114 crore through the same channel had been proved and details were discussed in NAB and the Supreme Court also.

He said fresh details have suggested that the Sharif family used its domestic employees, including cook and drivers, besides low-grade officials of the Punjab police to bring back the laundered money to Pakistan.

He claimed that authentic banking transactions had been traced that showed a transaction of Rs40 million in the account of PS to Hussain Nawaz Muhammad Hanif; Rs170 million transaction through the account of Anjum Iqbal (admin officer in Saudi Arabia); Rs37.5 million through the account of Abdul Razaaq (financial consultant at the Sharif Medical City); and similar transactions through the accounts of Sharif’s personal cook, waiter, driver and three constables of the Punjab police.

He lamented that during their previous regimes, Sharifs fabricated a comprehensive and sophisticated network to launder their ill-gotten money.

“We are going to give all newly obtained details to NAB for further investigations,” Khan said while requesting the NAB chairman to work without any fear.

On the occasion, he strongly criticised Jang/Geo group and its owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman for targeting the PTI and campaigning in favour of the Sharif family.

“Instead of holding a sitting government accountable, journalists affiliated with the group on the directive of Rehman are maligning the PTI and its leadership.

“Is it the responsibility of Mir Shakeel to protect a person who has to answer about Rs300 core ill-gotten money?”

“Mir Shakeel is a blackmailer who takes donations from abroad to run campaigns inside Pakistan,” Khan said, demanding of Mir Shakeel to make public last three years’ financial statements of his companies and businesses.