Sugar scam: PML-N president rejects report, demands PM's resignation

Rejecting the Inquiry Commission's forensic report on sugar scam, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif has demanded resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, saying the report was an attempt to hide the "real facts" by not declaring Imran Khan responsible for the sugar scandal.

Shahbaz said in a statement on Friday that PM Imran Khan accorded approval to all the decisions concerning the sugar and flour scams; therefore, he (Imran) could not shift the responsibility for that to any other person. "Imran Khan gave the license to loot the people," Shahbaz said, adding: "The name of the leader leading the gang which plundered the people's sugar was Imran Khan."

The Opposition Leader asked why the prime minister allowed the export of sugar when the country didn't have sufficient stocks. Why the prime minister gave approval to sugar export when the Sugar Advisory Board and the food security secretary opposed the move, the PML-N president raised question.

According to him, the nation was looted twice - first by allowing the export and then by increasing the price by Rs36 per kg.

From allowing sugar export to hoarding and selling the commodity at a higher price in the domestic market are the crimes of Imran Khan.

On the other hand, PML-N leader Malik Ahmed Khan at a press conference rejected inquiry commission's forensic report on sugar scandal and called it as an attempt to deceive the people.

Malik Ahmed Khan said federal minister Khusro Bakhtiar gave permission to export sugar in haste. Questions were raised on Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah when responsibility of Punjab CM Usman Buzdar was challenged, he stated.

The PML-N leader stated that sugar export decision led to increase in sugar prices, adding that PM Imran Khan has given clean chit to the perpetrators.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Ramzan Sugar Mill of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was already closed. "Establishing commission and presenting report is just a 'circus' to save PM Imran Khan," she added.

Marriyum Aurangzeb alleged that the decisions regarding sugar theft were approved by Punjab CM Usman Buzdar and PM Imran Khan but the blame of corruption was put on Sharif family.

"If PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif can spend his time in NAB's torture cell then why the concerned authorities have not arrested Imran Khan and Usman Buzdar until now," she added.