‘Seeking PM’s resignation portrays no-confidence in SC’

• Talal says political orphans line up outside court with expectations to get power, not justice

Pakistan Muslim League–N (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry on Tuesday said that seeking resignation of the elected prime minister while the Panama Papers case was subjudice, the opposition parties had portrayed no-confidence in the Supreme Court.

He said that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) gathered defective evidences and documents and made them part of its report and submitted before the apex court, he said while talking to media outside the Supreme Court.

He said that the team could not level even a single allegation of corruption, kickback or commission on the prime minister in award of contracts for development projects. Talal said that the JIT enjoyed full liberty in compiling the report without any influence from the government, and now the ball was in court of the Supreme Court and every one should have faith in it.

He said that the JIT was formed to look into violation of law, but it itself committed illegality by hiring a company owned by a close relative. Terming the PML-N rivals political orphans, he said they (opponents) were used to line up outside the court with the expectations to get power, not to justice from the Supreme Court.

He said that it seemed there was a silent alliance between the PTI and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with the understanding that one would make the future government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the other in Sindh. He criticised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto for seeking resignation of the prime minister, reminding him of corruption charges faced by Asif Ali Zardari during the last tenure of the PPP government.

He said that the Panama Papers case was a conspiracy against the PML-N government which initiated a number of development projects across the country to strengthen national economy. “It is a conspiracy that has links abroad, and here in Pakistan Imran and Bilawal are its puppets. Conspirators want to sabotage unprecedented development taking place in the country in the form of CPEC and energy projects,” he said.

Talking to media persons, State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali criticised oppositions and questioned about their leaders’ sources for acquiring multiple properties in Pakistan. He said that PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi should answer that how much tax he paid from his income.

He said that PML-Q leader Ch Shujaat Hussain’s should also inform the public about his source of income as his father was belong to a middle class family. He said that Awami Muslim League (AML)’s chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad had generated properties worth millions of rupees beyond his source of income.

Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha said that the Joint Investigation Team had over stepped from its mandate given by apex court. He said that the apex court had raised 13 questions regarding Panama papers case but JIT included more questions by itself.

He said that private firms hired during investigation had no legal status. A JIT member awarded contract to his cousin and benefitted him, he pointed out. Mohsin said the JIT was not entitled to suggest actions under this report as it was the mandate of the court. The cases about Hudaibiya Paper Mills had been closed in the past. He said that democracy should be strengthened in Pakistan for prosperity of the country.