The government on Tuesday made it clear that the ongoing process of accountability will continue as the people have mandated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to rid the country of corruption. Addressing a joint press conference here federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, State Minister for Revenue Hamaad Azhar and Senator Shibli Faraz said all institutions are working independently under PTI government.
The Minister alleged that both the political families of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari were running the world's largest money laundering network and they termed this as charter of democracy. He said democracy is in "danger" if they were asked about their looted money and the government start taking action against them.
He said Nawaz Sharif could not answer simple question of NAB court about money trail of his assets. He said both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardar established fake companies to legalize kickbacks obtained in different projects in the country.
Fawad Chaudhry said no one is being targeted and all the cases against Asif Ali Zardari were established in 2015. Chaudhry defended the ongoing accountability drive, reminding his critics that "it is our mandate to catch thieves."
Regarding PML-N leaders' repeated labeling of the premier as a "selected prime minister", the information minister reminded them that "the PML-N itself was engineered by General Zia."
The information minister said PML-N's Ahsan Iqbal must have forgotten about 1980s when their party was imposed on Pakistan. Sharif family and Ahsan Iqbal were not even elected as councilors before General Ziaul Haq's rule. "PML-N leaders are aggrieved over yesterday's verdict against their quaid, therefore let's ignore their personal attacks," he said in a sarcastic remark.
He said "Thugs of Pakistan" had failed to hold a successful show once again, adding that, "their faces revealed that they were lying and were only worried about themselves."
"Mian Sharif, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif were not even councilors before General Zia," the PTI leader added. Chaudhry questioned the basis of PML-N's criticism of PML-Q, a key government ally, pointing out that one of their former leaders (Mushahid Hussain Syed) was in their own ranks. Chaudhary said that almost 30 to 35 percent funds allocated for Public Sector Development Plan of Sindh were sent abroad by corrupt practices. He alleged that former President Asif Zardari has managed all his properties abroad by money laundering, adding that now when the government was taking action against the corrupt people they take refugee in democracy.
In the earlier presser, multiple PML-N leaders had asked why Shahbaz Sharif was in jail but PTI leader Babar Awan was not despite NAB inquires against both. Chaudhry explained that Shahbaz and Khawaja Saad Rafique, unlike Awan, were influencing the probe against them. He said Al-Aziza Steel Mill was established with an invwestment of 93 million Saudi Riyal while the Nawaz Sharif Family paid just 43 million Riyal where they managed rest of the amount it is not clear and they failed to provide money trail in the Court.
Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar tackled the Aleema Khanum issue. He claimed that the PM's sibling's case of undeclared assets was resolved with a fine because "she has never been a public office-holder."
The state minister said that Khanum has since also submitted her money trail in the court, pointing out that her only fault was that she had not declared a foreign asset an offence he deemed justified a penalty only. Azhar said that Pakistan People Party (PPP) and PML-N leadership kept busy in money laundering and other corrupt practices as a result government's expenditure surged while income reduced which created serious financial crisis and also depreciated Pakistan rupee exchange rate.
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