Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has directed the party leadership to move the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and MNA Captain (r) Mohammad Safdar for concealing assets and lying to state institutions.
According to a well placed source in the PPP, the party chief has directed senior party leaders to move the ECP against the premier and his close aides since they had misstated their assets.
“Bilawal has now directed party’s secretary-general Senator Sardar Latif Khan Khosa to move the ECP and seek the nomination papers, assets declarations, tax returns and other details submitted by Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Captain (r) Safdar and Senator Dar from year 1990 to 2016. The party will submit an official request with the chief election commissioner today (Wednesday),” the source added.
A PPP delegation will file the application today at 1:00pm.
The application, to be filed, requests the chief election commissioner (CEC) to direct the Election Commission to provide the applicant the copies of the nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar for National and Punjab assemblies’ elections from year 1990 to 2013.
It adds, “Moreover, please also direct the officials concerned to provide the assets declarations, tax returns and other related documents from year 1990 to year 2016.”
The application further states that the above mentioned politicians had been found involved in concealing assets, misstatement, lying to the nation and forgery.
“Moreover, the contradictory statements by the prime minister and his close relatives have fully exposed their lies. Since the close relatives of the prime minister have confirmed the ownership of the assets disclosed in the Panama Papers, they are liable under the law,” the application says.
The application further says that under the Panama Papers revelations, ownership claimed of hidden assets by Sharif family members and others, they are no more ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’, hence they fall under Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution.
“Therefore, the applicant may be provided the required documents so as a case could be filed with the relevant forum for further necessary action against the aforementioned individuals,” the application adds.