ISLAMABAD, May 10: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif demanded on Thursday the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to present within 24 hours proof of money laundering against him or resign from office.
“The NAB chairman should present all evidence against me within 24 hours,” Nawaz said while addressing an emergency press conference at the Punjab House.
“If you fail to present evidence, then you should publicly apologise to the nation and resign,” he demanded further.
Nawaz criticised NAB for holding an inquiry against him and others for allegedly laundering $4.9 billion to India.
The emergency presser comes days after World Bank refuted media reports claiming its Remittances and Migration Report included the mention of money laundering or named individuals.
“It has been proven now how the head of an institution [NAB] made my media trial a mission,” he said.
The former premier continued, “The severity of the allegations cannot be ignored.”
Stating that NAB has “lost all its credibility” following “baseless allegations” against him, Nawaz said, “How did this column surface again after four months.” He was referring to the media report on which the NAB took notice and launced a probe.
“Did the NAB chairman ask World Bank or State Bank about these allegations?” he questioned.
Further asking why the NAB chairman felt the urgency to issue a press statement late night on “a nameless press column”, Nawaz said, “The World Bank had also refuted these claims two years ago.”
The former premier alleged, “Conspiracies are being hatched to forge new cases against me and sentence me in them.”
“This is shameless pre-poll rigging,” the three-time prime minister asserted.
Regarding the Panama Papers case, Nawaz said, “Panama Papers did not even mention my name. But all that unfolded afterward is in front of everyone.”-Agencies
