LAHORE: Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would have to publicly apologise to the nation if he fails in proving money laundering allegations against him.
Talking to reporters after appearing in an accountability court hearing money laundering and illegal assets case against him, Hamza questioned as to who provides Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and PM’s Special Assistant on Accountability Shehzad Akbar with the figures of money laundering when such information is solely the prerogative of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Hamza said that Fawad Chaudhry, in his press conference, alleged corruption and kickbacks of Rs85 billion whereas the letter sent by Ministry of Interior placing the Sharif family on ECL mentioned Rs33bn and NAB has asked him to give explanation over Rs180m.
“These engineered and made up numbers and their incoherence proves how blatant these lies are and how ruthlessly the state machinery is being used by the government for political victimization,” he said.
While referring to the petition, he said that NAB is inquiring him about the funds from 2005 to 2008, when he was not a public office-holder. He further said that whatever he did at that time was as per the law and tax regulations of that time period.
Hamza also lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Jahangir Tareen, who was disqualified from the Supreme court, for lecturing the nation on justice and equality.
Hamza said that Tareen calling corruption embarrassing is one of the signs of Judgement Day.
The son of the former Punjab chief minister also said that he had submitted a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the conduct of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials who had “attacked” the residences of his sisters. In his plea, he asked the high court to take action against NAB officials for contempt of court.
In his petition to the LHC, Hamza has challenged the NAB officials’ action of raiding his home. He said that police ‘attacked’ the homes of his sisters, adding that a summon was sent to his ailing mother.
Hamza Shehbaz said that in order to deviate the nation from the current government’s incompetence, the opposition leaders are summoned to NAB offices.
