- Wants CJ-led commission to probe leaks
- Threatens to march towards Raiwind
ISLAMABAD, April 10: Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Sunday demanded of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down over Panama Papers revelations.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lost moral authority to lead the country. I demand you to resign,” Imran said while addressing the nation at his residence in Bani Gala.
“Given the seriousness of these allegations, Nawaz Sharif has lost the moral authority to rule.
Imran Khan said that Prime Minister is facing five main accusations which include tax-evasion, money laundering and corruption. He added that our rulers are the ones who send the nation’s money to offshore accounts.
“Those with offshore accounts in the country have been exposed,” Khan said. “There is no need for further investigations as there are evidences against the Premier,” he added.
“They are not talking about the serious allegations against them but have taken to attacking Shaukat Khanum hospital. Will our institutions silently observe all of this? Where is the FBR, the FIA, NAB?”
“Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had confessed how he laundered money out of Pakistan. Who will bring the money kept in offshore accounts back into the country” Khan asked.
Imran Khan said that this is not the Pakistan for which millions sacrificed their lives and Nawaz Sharif wants to become the Mughal-e-Azam of the country.
He rejected the formation of a judicial commission announced by the prime minister during his address to the nation.
“We demand a formation of chief justice-led commission under whom experts in investigating white-collar crimes would work. I also demand to hire foreign firms which would investigate money trails,” the PTI chief said.
“The commission should also include white-collar-crime experts and an audit firm that follows the trail of money to determine where it leads,” Imran added.
The PTI chief said he will give the government time till Apr 24 – his party’s 20th foundation day – to take appropriate action, after which he will announce a future course of action.
“We give you time till Apr 24 to form a commission on these lines. If the rest of the world is investigating, we will give them the opportunity to take action. I will come out with a future course of action on Apr 24.”
The PTI chief threatened a protest sit-in outside the Sharif family residence in Raiwind, if the government did not take steps to form the commission.
Imran recalled that he ended his previous 126-day long sit-in in Islamabad as a horrific incident occurred at Peshawar’s Army Public School. But this time, he said the PTI would not back off.
“This is the time to stand up. I promise my countrymen that I will not step back this time. The dharna had to be abandoned because of an incident [the Army Public School attack] but I promise my countrymen I will not back down this time. If need be we will go to Raiwind and stage sit-ins there,” Imran threatened.
He said that investigation has begun in Argentina, Britain, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand and India following the Panama papers revelations.
“We are demanding accountability, full accountability otherwise hundreds of thousands will join our march to Rawind,” he added.
The PTI chief stated that the decisive phase of the nation’s fate has arrived. He added that the people in Iceland are on the streets after the Panama Leaks were disclosed against their Prime Minister, he says that the Icelandic people are doing jihad.
He stated that the country is heading towards destruction as a result of the people remaining quiet over pertinent issues. He added that Nawaz Sharif tried to mislead the nation through his address.
The PTI chief said that he is the opposition leader as his party was able to secure second largest number of votes in the country in 2013 elections.
He said that a welfare hospital is being blackmailed by the government, adding that the people were told lies in regards to the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital.
The PTI chairman said that he would celebrate 20th foundation day of the party on April 24th and that he would propose the future course of action on same day.-NNI