Imran defends himself

Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, defending his remarks against the Parliament, Thursday asserted that "curse" is a light word to be used for a forum that allows 'criminals' to become its part. Speaking at a news conference to respond to the criticism against him in wake of his remarks against the Parliament in a rally in Lahore on Wednesday last, Imran said that the Parliament is the name of a building and it is its members who take it forward or destroy it.
Hitting back at criticism over his anti-Parliament comments and the resolution passed by the National Assembly against him for cursing the Parliament, the PTI chairman lashed out at Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for tirade against him, saying, "People like Khawaja Asif and Nawaz Sharif have destroyed the Parliament."
He questioned the passage of the bill last year which allowed Nawaz to head PML-N after being disqualified by the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case. "Give me a single example of any parliament in the world which makes laws in favor of a 'culprit' who has plundered public money and continues to tell lies in courts," he posed a question.
Imran alleged that Sharifs are involved in money laundering, worth Rs 1.74 billion, through FZE Capital, Hill Metals and other companies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He also congratulated his party's team which has made new 'revelations', adding that Nawaz Sharif sent approximately Rs 800 million to his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who sent Rs 25 million back to his father.
"Around Rs 240 million were laundered through employees of the Sharif family and Punjab Police via the Hill Metals Establishment," he claimed, adding that it was done when Nawaz Sharif was the premier. "Had this been done in a civilized nation, he (Sharif) would have been in jail rather than questioned his ouster," he added.
He further accused the Sharif family of being involved in laundering money through a network of 16 companies, including FZE Capital and Hill Metals, adding that Hussain Nawaz, the son of Nawaz Sharif, is its chairman.
Imran further alleged that transactions were made through bank accounts of multiple people, who were drivers and other employees of Nawaz Sharif, including employees of Sharif Medical City and constables of Punjab police. "It reveals that the companies were solely created for the purpose of money laundering," he further maintained.
He further claimed that money from Iqbal Anjum who works in Saudi Arabia goes to Aurangzeb Akhtar and Mohammad Iqbal, Punjab police constables. "Rs 180 million were sent by Sharifs' driver Punnoo Khan to Asim Mehmood who worked at Sharif Educational Complex," he maintained, adding Saleem, an employee at Jati Umra, sent Rs 50 million again to Asim Mehmood.
The PTI chief further claimed that Asim Mehmood sent Rs 240 million to Nawaz Sharif's employees, adding 'it was obvious that this is not going to the drivers but going to the Sharifs themselves.' He further alleged that Nawaz Sharif sent Rs 20 million to Chaudhry Sugar Mills through his own account which was revealed in the investigations by Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).
After 1992, Imran claimed, Sharif family's wealth increased enormously, adding that they also laundered money via Hudaibiya Paper Mills.
About Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, he alleged that 'Rs 3.5 billion arrived in Ramzan Sugar Mill owned by Shahbaz without any explanation.' "All this money had been acquired through corruption in Pakistan and sent abroad," he alleged, adding that the details would be sent to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other institutions for further probe.
Responding further to Khawaja Asif, he alleged that Khawaja Asif is earning Rs 1.6 million per month while working as a legal consultant. "There can be no bigger fraud than him [Khawaja Asif]," he alleged. He further alleged that hundreds of thousands of dollars were going to the US through Asif's wife. Describing Asif as "security risk" for the country, Imran said that being head of his party, he has the right to say that "judiciary is taking too long in taking action on the case against him [Asif]."