Shehbaz rules out snap polls

LAHORE:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday maintained that no plan was in offing to call early elections in the country, saying the remainder of his tenure in the office would be utilised for fixing the economy, while calling PTI Chairman Imran Khan a “certified thief” after his disqualification in the Toshakhana (gift depository) reference.

He expressed these views while addressing a news conference in Lahore alongside Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar and SAPM Ataullah Tarar.

The premier recalled that he had in the past offered a “charter of economy” – a consensus by lawmakers from across political divide on economic decisions – but was berated by the PTI, saying the former ruling party presented the plan as an attempt to plead for an NRO (deal).

However, the PM added, if there was still a “sincere effort” on part of the PTI to find solution to the ongoing political crises, he would go to any extent for the betterment of the country.

The prime minister twice evaded questions about backdoor talks between the government and the PTI.

A well-placed source in the party and a cabinet member aware of the developments while talking to The Express Tribune revealed that certain quarters were trying to encourage consultations between the government and the PTI.

PML-N is open to talks but not with any pre-conditions, he said.

Read: Imran disqualified

He added that the tenure of the assemblies would not be reduced, noting that thus far no head way had been made in this regard.

“If they (PTI) truly want early elections, they have [government in] Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. They should dissolve both their provincial governments and force the country towards early elections,” he stated, claiming that this was the only way for the PTI if the party “truly wanted” snap polls.

Addressing the presser, PM Shehbaz said Imran who used to call every political opponent a thief himself had been declared a “certified thief, liar and a fraud”.

However, he said, this was not a moment of celebration but one of “repentance”.

“Imran, who used to claim that if he were to be ever declared dishonest by courts, would leave politics, conversely today when he was declared a liar by the ECP, has turned against the institution.”

He alleged that the PTI chief went from selling buffaloes and vehicles of the PM House, in the name of cutting down on luxury to “siphoning” millions of rupees worth of foreign government gifts given to the state.

“The gifts Imran Khan ‘stole’ were not given to him but to the state of Pakistan and belonged to the people of Pakistan,” he said.

The premier said the issue of selling Toshakhana gifts by Imran came to the fore after a watch which a friendly neighbouring country had gifted landed in the same shop for sale from where it was purchased.

This was a huge embarrassment for the country, he said, adding that since the time he took reins of the government, gifts were kept at the PM House for display instead of Toshakhana where things “mysteriously disappeared”.

PM Shehbaz observed that the PTI chief during his tenure as premier sold gifts and later deposited an amount with the Toshakana, saying the act was an utter violation of rules.

“Gifts first have to be surrendered before Toshakhana where they get evaluated, and later, after paying 20 per cent, one can reclaim them.”

He termed the selling of Toshakhana gifts by the former premier “worst example of violation of law”.

He said no money trail of the gifts had been provided by the PTI chief.

The prime minister said that Imran gave himself and his sister an NRO while calling other thieves and frauds.

“NAB chairman was blackmailed by the PTI using a woman (a reference to harassment case). Retired judges were employed to obtain favourable decisions.”

Felicitating the nation, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan had exited the FATF grey list, adding that the country had attained success due to the “collective efforts of all coalition parties, Pakistan armed forces and other relevant institutions”.

The premier congratulated all the allied parties and the army chief on the achievement.

He said the PTI chief during his tenure as premier remained “indifferent” to all FATF-related matters and legislations in the parliament, adding that the then opposition played its role and gave positive feedback on the issue.

When asked why the PML-N that accused the PTI chairman of robbing the nation of billions of rupees by creating artificial shortage of wheat, sugar, fertiliser and gas to benefit his aides was instead celebrating a “technical knockout” in the Toshakhana reference, the PM said that the gifts “expropriated” by Imran were of “high value”.  “The watch he took was of Rs150 million.”

“We are a coalition government. People don’t talk about billions we have saved in wheat procurement but discuss the size of our cabinet,” the PM replied when questioned on his swelling cabinet.