- PTI chief says since Qatari prince has refused to appear before court, they have nothing left to explain
- Says PM is making dangerous insinuation through his speech, giving impression that a conspiracy is being hatched against them
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan said on Thursday Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not provide any new crucial information during his appearance before the joint investigation team (JIT).
Khan criticised the prime minister for reading a prewritten speech outside the Federal Judicial Academy, terming that alone as confirmation that the prime minister did not reveal anything new before the JIT.
“They have not provided anything new… any evidence to the JIT,” Khan said.
The PTI chairman said the Sharifs only defence in the investigation was the letter from Qatari prince Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani.
“Because the Qatari [prince] has refused to appear [before the court]… they have nothing left to explain how money was transferred from here to purchase the palaces in London.”
Imran Khan said the prime minister was making a dangerous insinuation through his speech, giving the impression that there is a conspiracy being hatched against them. He said Sharif had suggested that the army and judiciary were jointly behind this campaign.
Khan said he wants to remind the prime minister that after the new army chief and chief justice took their oaths last year, his daughter Maryam Nawaz had tweeted that the “storm has passed… meaning the conditions were now favourable” for her family.
Khan said Maryam’s posts on Twitter gave the impression that both the COAS and the CJ were people that the ruling party had complete faith in, but today they are pointing fingers at the same people.
The Sharif family has done this for the past 30 years, the PTI chief alleged.
“The umpire is either their own… or against them.”
PM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SUSPECT, SAYS FAWAD
Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry, addressing a news conference in the federal capital, said if the prime minister is confident that the public is with him, he should immediately tender his resignation and let elections be called.
He said the process of accountability started by the PTI was finally bearing fruit.
Thus, he (PM) should be considered a suspect, he claimed.
He added the prime minister was going through strict accountability. “Even during the Martial law, seven cases were shortlisted against Nawaz Sharif.”
PTI’s Asad Umar—also present at the news conference—said the prime minister was reacting as if he did a huge favour by appearing before the JIT, adding Nawaz did not appear by himself, but did so because he was asked to do it.
While talking about the prime minister’s statements, Umar said what Nawaz said was different to that of the assembly and the court.
Earlier, while talking to the media, Chaudhry said it was a historic day as the prime minister appeared for probe before the Panama Leaks case Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
Talking to the media, Chaudhry clarified the premier was summoned by the JIT and did not do so on his own accord.
“How did the prime minister’s kids become billionaires in their teens?” asked Chaudhry, adding that the premier also needed to explain how he set up the Nescol and Nielsen companies in 1993.
The PTI leader said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was shrieking in pain today.
“The investigation is being taken to its logical conclusion,” he commented further.
Chaudhry also lamented that the Supreme Court’s special implementation bench had to adjourn its proceedings today owing to the JIT members’ summoning of the prime minister. In his opinion, the premier’s questioning should have been rescheduled to allow the apex court to hold its hearing today.