ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have criticised deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif for “playing politics in court”, and called for an investigation into the allegations made by the latter in his statement before the court and in a presser later in the day.
Commenting on Nawaz’s statement, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said Nawaz will have to pay for the politics he tried to play in court.
He said this in response to the former prime minister’s statement earlier on Wednesday that the Avenfield reference was filed against him as a punishment for taking legal action against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf despite being warned not to do so.
Chaudhry said that what Nawaz Sharif said is a political statement, something that he says during his rallies and the question remains regarding what is his legal stance.
“Nawaz was asked only two questions regarding the Avenfield properties and the money in the bank accounts but he neither spoke about the money trail nor the source of the money,” Chaudhry said, adding that Nawaz’s statement did not answer the court’s questions.
“His conspiracy theory will not be able to influence the court,” he concluded.
PPP DEMANDS PROBE:
Meanwhile, PPP Information Secretary Maula Bux Chandio rejected Nawaz’s claim that former president Asif Ali Zardari had conveyed a message to him to endorse the second martial law imposed by Musharraf.
Chandio termed Nawaz’s allegations ‘dangerous,’ and said that a non-partisan investigation should be conducted. “Nawaz Sharif will have to answer several questions after these allegations,” Chandio said.
The PPP leader stressed that Nawaz Sharif should explain why he let Musharraf leave the country and that why were Pervaiz Rashid and Mushaidullah Khan removed.
He further said that Nawaz Sharif is saying this now as he fears punishment from the accountability court.
“Nawaz has even disassociated from his sons to save himself from being punished,” Chandio asserted.
Chandio added that Nawaz should answer why he weakened the same parliament which had saved him during the sit-in.
