PM Abbasi 'foolish' if he thinks Nawaz Sharif is not corrupt, tweets Imran Khan

PTI chief reiterates that if the premier does not respect court decisions, no one else can be expected to

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday slammed recent comments from Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in which the premier claimed that horse trading and money played a key role in the outcome of the recent Senate elections.

Questioning the timing of the statements from the prime minister, Imran posted messages on social media which sought to remind Abbasi about proposals put forward by PTI which has advised the government to take measures against this.

"If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans?" Imran Khan asked.

So now PM Abbasi is crying abt horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans?

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 25, 2018

The PTI chief also posted a list of four questions he would like the premier to respond to, which concerned statements from the prime minister regarding development in Pakistan, and how the proceedings of the Panama case had impacted it.

"How could Panama case and its verdict have derailed development when it indicted NS for money laundering?" Imran said, citing remarks by PM Abbasi in which he had said that Panama case had caused instability, which impacted economic progress in Pakistan.



Imran also wanted PM Abbasi to clarify whether he felt a money launderer should be above the law because of "some imagined ongoing development".

4 Qs for PM Abbasi after his histrionics yesterday 1: How cld Panama case & it's verdict have derailed development when it indicted NS for money laundering? Does PM Abbasi feel a money launderer shd be above the law bec of some imagined ongoing development?

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 25, 2018

Another question apparently attacked the leader of the Lower House for turning a blind eye to the corruption in the ruling party.

"Does PM Abbasi regard the debilitating $10 billion money laundering per year that is destroying Pakistan a non-issue?" Imran challenged the premier.

2. Does PM Abbasi regard the debilitating $10 bn money laundering per yr that is destroying Pakistan a non-issue? https://t.co/bwc12c26Ka

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 25, 2018

Further building on his basic argument, Imran asked PM Abbasi if he thought that Nawaz Sharif was involved in corruption.

"If he thinks he is, then how can Abbasi as PM condone crime of money laundering? If Abbasi thinks Nawaz Sharif is not guilty of money laundering then he is more foolish than one thought," Imran posted on Twitter.

3. Does PM Abbasi think NS is or is not involved in money laundering? if he thinks he is, then how can Abbasi as PM condone crime of money laundering? If Abbasi thinks NS is not guilty of money laundering then he is more foolish than one thought. https://t.co/TrxSQh9wYS

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 25, 2018

Imran also lamented how if political leaders did not accept judgments of the court, no one would.

4. If the PM of the country is not prepared to accept and respect judgement of the SC, how can others be expected to do so? https://t.co/npHfi59Rzu

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 25, 2018

Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi criticised the Senate elections in which the ruling party suffered defeat despite its overall majority in the House, saying how the country could earn respect in the world with “this kind of Senate elections that were contest through the power of money”.

“An election where votes were sold and purchased got us a chairman who was not known in the political circles before. It is sad to have such a person as chairman of the Senate, an institution that represents the federation,” he said on Saturday.



The PM was addressing two separate functions – one on the inauguration of the first CCV line and aluminum alloy manufacturing plant at Lahore’s Sunder Industrial Estate and the other on the opening of Rai Mansab Ali Khan Kharal Bridge built on River Ravi at Nankana Sahib.

Prime Minister Abbasi said that despite all efforts of the ruling party for democracy, the elected government had to lose its prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, due to the July 28, 2017 verdict of the apex court.

“Those who work [for the country] have to face the courts and get insulted whereas those who don’t work are neither questioned nor insulted. But come what may, our government has decided to tackle every problem head-on and continue to serve the people of this country. Our government will not comprise,” he added.

He said when Sharif was disqualified, people thought the ruling party’s government would collapse and its MNAs would not stand by the government but that did not turn out to be the case.

“The government has worked despite all odds and challenges. The specific legal cases, including the one on Panama Papers, eventually brought instability in the country… otherwise it would have been on the path of rapid progress,” he said, asking the voters to understand the significance of all these happenings.