1990 elections rigging case: Sharifs should be banned from politics, says Sharjeel

The minister said that govt would also probe the matter further and find out who else was involved in this offence.

KARACHI:

Information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to bar Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif from taking part in the elections.

He made these remarks after the Supreme Court’s ruling on a petition filed by Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan in 1996, in which the Inter-Service Intelligence was accused of distributing money to politicians so that the general elections of 1990 could be manipulated. The apex court ruled that some political parties had indeed accepted money and were backed financially by ISI.

At a press conference on Saturday at Chief Minister House, Memon said, “PML-N were the main recipients of the money. The ECP should disqualify them because country does not need corrupt politicians.”

Memon, who was flanked by revenue minister Jam Mehtab Dahar, alleged that both PML-N leaders have broken all records of corruptions. “They are no longer honest and trustworthy. The court’s verdict has proved that they are obsessed with money.”

He said that there was no restriction on PML-N leaders to visit Sindh, but it would be better if they surrendered all looted and plundered money before coming to the province.The minister said that government would also probe the matter further and find out who else was involved in this offence.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2012.