PML-N demands early outcome

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Thursday demanded an early outcome of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding case from the Election Commission of Pakistan through a transparent and open court trial.

"There are 23 accounts of the PTI that have not been disclosed to the ECP in which millions of dollars transactions have been made. This needs to be probed transparently and forthwith before the retirement of the present Chief Election Commissioner," Secretary General of PML-N, Ahsan Iqbal said while addressing a press conference along with party's spokesperson Maryum Aurangzeb. Iqbal said that it is necessary that all the political parties of the country should work for the national interest. "It should also be made sure that no political party is working for the anti-Pakistan foreign elements. We have doubts that foreign anti-Pakistan forces have made transactions in the 23 undisclosed accounts of the PTI to fund the party for their sinister designs against Pakistan. That's why a transparent and early probe is needed into the allegations," he added.

He said that for the past five years, the PTI's foreign funding case has been pending with the ECP, adding that the government is influencing the ECP to stop the election body from proceeding on the case.

"The government is attempting to stop the ECP by keeping the two seats vacant of the election body deliberately to make the excuse that the ECP is incomplete and the case cannot be preceded," he said, adding that the case of the PTI's foreign funding should be heard in the open court.

He further alleged that the PTI leadership is afraid of an open trial in the presence of the media, adding that the time has arrived that the nation should know the facts about the PTI's foreign funding through an open court trial.

"Pakistan's historic plunder has been busted and the 23 Benami accounts need to be investigated. This is an unforgivable 'crime' and Prime Minister Khan needs to address these concerns," he added.

Iqbal also rejected the allegations against the PML-N for having undisclosed accounts. "Till to-date, there is no undisclosed account of the PML-N and all the accounts of the party have been disclosed with the ECP and other relevant forums," he added.

The PML-N leader also accused the government of making false claims about the state of the country's economy, and also challenged the figures being released by the social media accounts of the PTI to claim the alleged achievements of the government on many economic indicators and statistics. He said that thousands of people have been made jobless during the last one year and the government ministers are claiming that the economy has witnessed a 'turnaround.'

Referring to a statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said that the Premier should be given a Nobel Prize for realizing "when there is inflation, it brings poverty in the country."

"You're befooling the nation for the last 20 years. You don't know the 'A, B, C' of the economics. Where is your economic team and the promises made with the nation? Where is your homework? Now as the whole year has been passed and you should tell the nation about the progress on the promises you had made with the nation before coming into the power," Iqbal asked the Prime Minister.

He stated that only fresh election is the solution to the current challenges, adding that Rehbar Committee has decided to hold rallies at district level and the local leadership of the party will finalize the program of the rallies.

To a question, he said that it was the judiciary which allowed the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for medical treatment, adding that the government left no stone unturned to create hurdles.

Responding to another query, he said if the Prime Minister is sincere in accountability process, he should write a letter to the chairman NAB to start the process from his own cabinet and the people around him and probe Peshawar metro bus project.

To another query about the future course of action of Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif, he said that she is assisting her father by staying at home to take care of her grandmother.