‘It’s our money!’

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has once again strongly condemned the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led coalition government for having a bad attitude towards the judiciary and demanded the government bring the Pakistani money kept in Swiss banks back to the country.
Speaking to a press conference at his residence along with Mumtaz Bhutto, he said Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had been sworn in on the constitution and his commitment should be with the country instead of looters and plunderers. He said the nation was standing beside the Supreme Court and it would not let the government or anybody else create hurdles for the judiciary. He said it was the apex court’s job to decide on presidential immunity. However, he said presidential immunity and returning the country its money – looted and kept in Swiss banks – were two separate issues.
He also criticised the government’s allies for extending their ‘unjustified’ support to the government on the issue of writing a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari closed under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). He said the PPP’s mantra of martyrdom would not work for the corrupt rulers.
Without naming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, he complained that foul language had been used against him and other political leaders of the country. He said people chanting slogans of change had joined hands with the old faces responsible for the current crises in the country.
He said his party would resign from parliament “without a second’s delay” if the need arose. He said the government’s track record had not been impressive so far and elections under Zardari would also be suspect.
He said the PML-N had no intention of reconciling with the government, however, cooperation might be extended on issues of national interest such as the 20th Amendment.
He also denied registering any cases against the president on the dictation of intelligence agencies. “I never said that I made up cases against Zardari under the instructions of intelligence agencies. These cases were registered during an interim government, which was established when Farooq Leghari was president of Pakistan,” he said. Nawaz said the nation’s wealth would be recovered only when the government wrote the letter to Swiss authorities. He said the PML-N would not allow any dictator to rule the country again.