Sharif must apologise to nation: PTI

Party spokesman says ex-PM said nothing about his money trail

LAHORE: Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said deposed premier Muhammad Nawaz Sharif should apologise to the nation, but it seems that he has no regret over his actions.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the PTI leader said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo had neither spoken a word against the martial law of Ziaul Haq nor against the Kargil war. “Why did he let Musharraf go abroad? Had Sharif not done his job submissively? Why were Mushahidullah Khan and Pervaiz Rasheed removed from their positions?” he questioned.

Chaudhry said Sharif always tells fairy tales to the court of law, but does not utter a word about the money trail of his Avenfield properties.

Criticising former senior leader of PML-N and PTI Javed Hashmi, the PTI spokesman said he (Hashmi) called himself a ‘baghi’ (rebel), but had forgotten the time when Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) received Rs8.7 million. The PTI leader alleged that ousted prime minister Sharif had also received money from Gen (retd) Aslam Baig and Gen (retd) Durrani.



Chaudhry highlighted that three cases against Sharif have been entered in their final stage, but the deposed premier never answered a single question, out of total 128 queries, asked by the apex court. “He always tries to mislead the court through his political narrative,” he underlined.

“He forgets that the prime minister of Iceland was sent packing after the Panama papers scandal came to the fore. He added that after the revelations, a campaign was started against money laundering across the world.

Chaudhry said if Sharif even had a little love for his country, he would never launder Rs300 billion from Pakistan. “Sharif has to tell the nation from where this money came to his children’s bank accounts.” The PTI leader said Nawaz is trying to create unrest in the country just to save his illegal assets.

Last month, Chaudhry stated that parliamentarians of South Punjab had made the right decision by quitting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is with the people of South Punjab,” he stated at the time.

He underlined that the PML-N would face defeat in the upcoming general elections. Chaudhry added that the fate of PML-N would no different to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). “People of Punjab are not satisfied with Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s performance. Those who decided to quit the ruling party have made the right decision.”

Chaudhry said that various PML-N leaders were approaching PTI leadership to include them in the party as PML-N had no future. “The party (PTI) does not have many positions to include those who expressed their desire to join PTI. However, various parliamentarians from Punjab will soon make an announcement that they have joined the PTI,” he maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2018.