Amid ongoing tussle between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and opposition parties on the issue of Panama leaks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan have boarded on the same flight (PK-757) from Lahore to London today (Thursday), according to local media.
Senior PTI leaders including Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan are also accompanying Imran Khan.
According to sources, Nisar‘s seat number is 1-A while Khan‘s seat number is 1-H in the business class.
The PTI chief had announced that he is going to the UK for two fundraisers and a rally for Kashmir in Birmingham. Apart from these activities, he said that he would also meet experts of two companies specializing in forensic tax audits.
Reportedly, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s family will also board flight PK-757 to London.
Talking to reporters at Lahore airport, Imran Khan said that matter of Panama leaks will be taken to its logical conclusion.
PPP and PML-N have been blackmailing and backing each other for their interests. Instead of presenting themselves for accountability, they are blackmailing others, Khan said.
He also announced strong protest if the government did not form commission as per opposition parties’ demand.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif‘s arrival in London — ostensibly to undergo a pending medical check-up — has set political circles abuzz after he landed in controversy following the Panama Papers leak as PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is also present there.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan rejected speculations that Prime Minister‘s London visit has anything to do with the Panama papers scandal.
Nisar said the prime minister was facing medical issues from last two or three months and he went to London for his medical treatment.
At a time when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan threatened to march toward Nawaz Sharif’s residence in Raiwind, leaders of the opposition had been casting doubt on the reason for the prime minister’s sudden visit to London.
Zardari’s movement in London is also being closely monitored by the media.