PTI expresses concern over ‘effort’ to bail out Sharif

Says former premier’s statement about dialogue with state institutions alarming

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting any possible National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)-style deal to bail out the former premier Nawaz Sharif who is facing a slew of graft cases, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expressed concern over ‘the efforts’ to get Sharif out of country.

“The [former] prime minister’s statement about talks with state institutions is alarming. No NRO shall be acceptable for Nawaz Sharif or any of his family members,” said a press release issued after a meeting of the PTI’s senior leaders on Tuesday.

The PTI leadership also demanded that accountability process be completed without interruption.

Nawaz Sharif on March 22 expressed his willingness to sit down with the army, political parties and state institutions for ‘democracy, rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution’.



The statement was viewed as significant given Sharif’s rhetoric against the judiciary and military establishment in the wake of his July 28, 2017 disqualification by the apex court in Panama Papers case.

The PTI’s statement also accused the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led government of complicating ‘the simple issue’ of merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).



It said: “[the PTI chief] Imran Khan would announce a concrete mechanism regarding future of Fata. According to the statement, an ‘Economic Media Committee’ was also formed during the meeting. The committee will be headed by Asad Umar and comprise Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub.