Mehran bank scam: Firdous demands Shahbaz prove innocence in court
Federal Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has demanded that the politicians implicated in the Mehran Bank scandal – including Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif – should prove their innocence in a court of law before speaking to the media.
Shahbaz should refrain from criticising President Asif Ali Zardari and instead appear before the court because he was accused of receiving a large amount of money to rig the 1990 elections against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Firdous told journalists in Lahore on Saturday.
She went on to criticise PPP’s detractors, saying that Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan’s petition in the Supreme Court has exposed all those who were trying to undermine the incumbent government.
Firdous urged the Supreme Court to make Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) former political cell in-charge Roedad Khan a respondent in the Mehrangate affair. She claimed that Khan had pressured former Mehran Bank chief Younis Habib to fabricate cases against President Zardari.
In a response to Firdous, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the Sharif brothers would definitely appear before the court if they were summoned. He added that the input and output of the money in question have not yet been determined.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid, the special assistant to the Punjab chief minister, said that there was no truth in the allegations levelled by those involved in the Mehran Bank scam against the Sharif brothers. He added that the allegations were being repeated without any solid proof.
Senator Rashid credited the PML-N for exposing the Mehran Bank scam, saying that the newspapers of 1996 were witness to the fact. He added that former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani’s hostility towards Nawaz Sharif and his sympathies for PPP should be made a part of the record.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2012.
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Any transparency in this case is only going to help the coalition govt. I would prove that the ISI and all rightwing parties conspired against the secular party to keep them away from winning the elections. It would also prove that the secular governing coalition parties were not involved in this corruption and stealing of general elections. In fact it was a conspiracy to deprive them of their rightful votes. Court has to prove its really independent and now is the time. All crooks should be sent behind bards and public money should be brought back in the country.
Is there any doubt that Sharifs have not taken money? There are thousands and thousands videos that shows Sharifs’ admiration and support for military ruler in 80s and 90s. They are known for marriage of convenience, they are with PPP now to shield themselves against these cases. I am sure they will struck another secrete deal with PPP as they did with Musharaf.
110% true firdus ashiq awan sahiba.