News

July 12, 2017

PML-N rejects minus-Nawaz formula

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has made it clear that it will not accept the minus-Nawaz Sharif formula and will take on the opposition with stern answer on its malicious campaign against the government and the prime minister.

It has been decided that no heed would be paid to the demand made by the opposition for quitting of the prime minister and assemblies. No formula would even be considered where Nawaz Sharif is targeted. It was observed that an attempt was being made to bring a judicial 58-2(B).

The constitutional expertsand jurists appointed by the prime minister completed their study of the JIT report on the PanamaLeakes and told a high echelon consultative meeting here at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday that the report is a pack of lies and fabrication of third order. The informal consultative marathon meeting held on the second consecutive day decided to fight for the battle on political and legal spheres with fair amount of courage. The federal ministers present in the capital attended the meeting and maintained that people of the country have full faith in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.

Highly-placed sources told The News after the meeting that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked the ministers to gear up their contacts with the masses since the real battle would be fought at the people level in a couple of months once the polls are announced. Participants of the meeting castigated the demand made by some opposition groups for stepping down of the prime minister and rejected it contemptuously. “What else the opponents could ask for? And it isn’t new from them. They have been harping on the same tune for the last four years,” a senior leader offered comments with a smile. He was of the view that such groups don’t have any clue about the sentiments of the people. “Were the opponents posing confidence in the prime minister during the last four years?” he asked. The meeting decided to challenge the JIT report as soon the documents are ready in this regard without waiting for the resumption of hearing in the apex court, the sources said.

The prime minister castigated the “revelation” of his offshore company in the JIT report. He said that the country has yet another time been made a victim of conspiracies. Nawaz was confident that the conspirators are bound to bite the dust in their nefarious designs as the government would fulfil its commitments with the people for their uplifting. Nawaz said that the designs of the opposition were never accepted by the people and the government’s agenda has their approval which would be completed.

The ministers reminded the premier that the people have unflinching confidence in his leadership since he has brought about a visible improvement in their life and rid the country of many evils. The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, who was of the view that the opposition has no ground to stand in the province as the people have realised that the detractors of the government have no plan for the welfare of the country. The meeting also chalked out the future strategy for catering immediate and long terms political planning.

Shahbaz, federal ministers and other party aides, including legal wizards of the prime minister who were part of the meeting, assured the prime minister that the development activities would continue at required pace disregarding the opposition’s agitation. Maryam Nawaz was also in the attendance and she expressed satisfaction about the response by the PML-N workers and leaders across the country about the opponents’ moves and the fabricated report of the JIT. She said that the report wouldn’t stand before the law as it has been manufactured to malign the government and create hurdles in the way of service to the country by the government under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. She said that the demand made by the groups of the opposition has been made so many times in the last four years that the people have stopped giving heed to such frivolous demands.

APP adds: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique reiterated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not own any offshore company and it would be established in the court with evidence. “The Panama issue is an engineered drama. It had been directed from abroad and performed by actors within the country,” he said addressing a news conference.

“The JIT was a one way traffic. It is biased and politically motivated and we will contest it with all evidence and arguments in the Supreme Court,” he added.He explained that usually investigation was done through questions and the JIT was assigned to reveal the truth, but it acted with partiality.

“It is strange that the JIT did that much work. It could have not done that much, even if all of its members could have worked round the clock during its tenure. It seems that it was not the JIT alone performing this job rather the work was started, may be a year or more before its constitution,” he said.

Taking on political rivals, the minister said it was strange that Asif Ali Zardari talked of corruption, but his own tales of corruption were known to everyone. “At least the PPP should think many times before charging others of corruption,” he said.

As far as Imran Khan was concerned, he said, he embodied every immorality but clamoured for morality.To a query about accountability, he said there were accountability institutions in the country that could take effective action. When asked about conspiracy, he told the questioner, “I am not pointing towards those about whom you are thinking.”

Adviser to Prime Minister Barrister Zafarullah said the JIT failed to include statements made by persons in their defence during the probe.Talking to media persons, Barrister Zafarullah said many of the papers filed by the JIT were not based on facts. He said it seemed that many of questions were fed to the JIT by someone.

The JIT, he said, expanded its probe of the Sharif family’s affairs to the year 1962 and went beyond its scope given by the Supreme Court.PML-N MNA Daniyal Aziz said the JIT had admitted its failure in submitting a complete inquiry report in the Panama Papers case.

He said the JIT had virtually trespassed its mandate by narrating a fairy-tale based on different contradictory statements and stories. He said the report could not be termed complete as the JIT itself had admitted the same that the 10th volume was ‘ongoing’. He said the report could have been submitted after 10 to 20 days. He said the 10th volume had been leaked deliberately despite the JIT’s request to the apex court not to make it public and the government was being held responsible for it instead of the JIT.

Daniyal said the JIT had consumed the first five volumes of report to nullify the Qatari prince’s letter without recording his statement. “Why was PTI chief Imran Khan not being tried despite being declared an absconder?” he said, and recalled that 52 fabricated cases had been framed against Nawaz Sharif in the past, but nothing was proved against him.

The PML-N lawmaker, Talal Chaudhry, said the PML-N would carry out post mortem of the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) report and expose it before the Supreme Court.Talking to the media here outside the Supreme Court, he said, “The JIT’s 256-page report has 265 mistakes. We will conduct its point-by-point post mortem before the Supreme Court and highlight its deficiencies.”

“We believe institutions can give justice and we will get justice from the Supreme Court,” he remarked. He said the PML-N believed in the supremacy of law and respected the Supreme Court and all other national institutions. Talal said whether it was not contempt of court when Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said, “Either funeral of the PML-N or the JIT will be held,” and Imran Khan said: “The JIT members are servants of Nawaz Sharif.”

He said the PML-N would not allow vested interests to incite confrontation among the institutions. He said the Pakistan People’s Party leader Aitzaz Ahsan had said that the JIT was following a script. “We are glad that the statements of all leaders and content of different programmes on news channels will be examined during the contempt of court hearing,” he added.

Talal said the people of Pakistan had given a mandate to Nawaz Sharif to become the prime minister and resigning from the office would be an insult of that mandate.

“When the JIT of 200 million people will ask the prime minister to step down, he will take no time to leave,” he said, adding that before the submission of the JIT report, the PML-N expressed reservations on it and the objections were conveyed to the apex court. He said the people of Pakistan were the “umpire” for the PML-N.

PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi said Imran Khan is morally and financially corrupt and his corrupt practices would result in ban on his party.Talking to the media, he said money is weakness of Imran and he can grab money from anywhere, no matter it is any mafia or tax evaders or corrupt elements.

“Can Imran reply how could he afford the expenses to study at Oxford University? He does not have money trail even for his Banigala residence,” he said, adding that Imran even could not provide proof for foreign funding received by his party.

“This nation wants your trial and seeks answer that from where you got money to pay for air travelling in private planes,” he said. Abbasi said Imran is also not ready to produce record of his party funds before the Election Commission.

“Does your lifestyle reflect that you just pay Rs150,000 annual income tax?” He said there is nothing more in the JIT boxes than hypothesis as the JIT had failed to gather any concrete evidence against the prime minister or his family.

“You are conspiring against democracy and the people of Pakistan and your conspiracy has links with the Jewish lobby and anti-Pakistan forces,” he said.

Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk

Back to Pakistanlink Home

 

Back to Top