LAHORE: Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar Thursday said the government is in talks with Britain to deport the former prime minister and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan.

"Nawaz Sharif is an absconder and also a convicted criminal who does not even have the right to go to court in his defence any more," Shahzad said, adding: "We are doing everything to bring Nawaz back to Pakistan."

While addressing a joint press conference along with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, here Thursday, Shahzad Akbar revealed that the ongoing anti-corruption drive in the province has led to a 532 percent increase in recoveries over the last 27 months. "Those who looted the country are now forced to return what they took," he said.

Appreciating people's participation in the anti-corruption drive, he said the government's "Report Corruption App" turned out to be impressive as more than 6,000 complaints were received. "The direct involvement of the citizens in reporting corruption has been very useful. I also urge other provinces, including K-P and Sindh, to take similar initiative," he said.

Shahzad said, "No one in the Punjab would be given National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) by the federal government."

Answering a question, Shahzad said that it is absolutely wrong that the anti-corruption drive is only against the Opposition leaders. "It is baseless that only those belonging to the opposition are being held accountable; those involved in the sugar inquiry belonged to all parties," he said.

"The PTI has formed a government for the first time; if questions are going to be raised against the activities of PTI's officeholders, the department concerned will not hesitate to take action against them either," he stressed.

Sharing the success of the anti-corruption drive in Punjab, the CM Usman Buzdar said that the authorities concerned went after a lot of bigwigs for their corrupt practices. "Those who criticise us for not bringing about a change in the province, I assure that Punjab is moving towards a complete transformation."

He said that the anti-corruption establishment (ACE) retrieved land worth Rs two billion from influential people who had illegally occupied it. "From August 2018 to October 2020, the ACE received 51050 complaints, it initiated 11488 inquiries, registered 3185 cases, and arrested 3904 people accused of corruption," he said, adding: "The anti-corruption drive will directly benefit citizens."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020