Amid mounting pressure from opposition parties to step down, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday categorically said that he would not resign on the calls of those who have been repeatedly rejected by the masses. Addressing a parliamentary party meeting of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Prime Minister also expressed the hope that Supreme Court would hear his party's reservations over the report.
The party's parliamentarians also reposed confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as opposition parties are repeatedly exerting pressure on him to step down in the light of the findings of the JIT. "The controversial report compiled by a controversial JIT is nothing but a set of baseless allegations that our opponents have been levelling for years. The report does not contain a single solid document which could contest our stance and the proofs provided to it," he told his party's members of the National Assembly and Senate.
The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan The Prime Minister, in his address to the meeting, regretted that elements creating political instability and uncertainty are damaging the country. "My conscious is clear and entire nation knows that...I will not tender resignation. Should I step down on the calls of those who have been repeatedly rejected by the people?" he posed a question.
"Not a single sentence in the JIT proves that Nawaz Sharif is guilty of corruption. There is not a single case of corruption or malpractice against Shahbaz Sharif and myself during our tenures in the past...even not a single allegation could be made [against Sharifs] in the [JIT's] 4000-page report, set aside finding any scandal of corruption or misappropriation in my five terms and during Shahbaz Sharif's tenures," the Prime Minister added.
He said that the Sharif family has been targeted over its business matters spanning over 62 years with assumptions and allegations. He said that an unjustified campaign against his government was launched soon after the elections of 2013. He also challenged his opponents to present if there was a single penny kickback, misappropriation and corruption in the hundreds of development projects, contracts awarding as well as other schemes.
He further told his party's parliamentarians that the hurdles were created in his way in the past as well but he faced all the challenges and had remained steadfast to his stance and ideology. "I was disqualified for taking part in the election but I didn't lose courage and refused to bow down before the dictatorship of Musharraf...I risked my life by launching movement for the independence of judiciary when those claiming to be the big leaders were in the hiding," Nawaz Sharif said.
He also mentioned that he had received telephone calls from the US and British leadership who had conveyed to him that his life was in danger so he should call off the 2009's 'long-march' for the restoration of deposed judges. The Prime Minister said that he believes in rule of law, independence of judiciary and democracy. He further said that national economy could have done even better had there not been continuous conspiracies of 'anarchist' political elements, adding stock market after touching 54,000 benchmark is now witnessing a downward trend due to negative situation in the country.
He said the economy of the country is progressing and if there would be no negative politics, hopefully the government will achieve the growth rate of 6 to 7 percent and even more than that. However, he regretted that the efforts were being made to derail the train of development, adding a number of power projects were launched during his tenure and several have been completed. "Who will hold accountable those who are pushing the country towards darkness?" he asked.
Recounting his government's performance, he said the government launched an operation against terrorists with the consultation of armed forces and the backbone of terrorists has been broken. This, he said, resulted in restoration of peace in the country, adding it was the present government which restored law and order in Balochistan where national flag is waving now. He also took credit for the peace in Karachi, saying Karachi of the day is different from what it was before 2013.
At the end, the Prime Minister thanked his party's members for reposing confidence in his leadership, adding he was thankful to them and the people for standing by him with unity and solidarity. Insiders said the Prime Minister was given a thumping welcome by his party's parliamentarians when he arrived at the meeting hall. At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister's legal adviser, Barrister Zafarullah gave a briefing on the JIT report and the government's strategy to challenge the findings of the JIT in Supreme Court when it resumes hearing on Monday [July 17].