Islamabad (November 22, 2017): Demanding “same rules of justice for everyone” disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif said that it is not befitting for judiciary to write words like “Sicilian mafia and godfather”.
Speaking to the media after attending the proceedings of the accountability court which is hearing three corruption references against him, Nawaz said, the “dictator’s black laws were rejected on the floor of the house yesterday”.
He was referring to the rejection in the National Assembly on Tuesday of the Elections Amendment Bill 2017, which sought to restrict disqualified parliamentarians from heading a political party after 163 members voted against the proposed change in the legislation.
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The Pakistan Muslim League-N president lamented the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) moving of the amendment bill, saying, “the PPP’s support for this bill hurt me. The party’s action has made me question their democratic credentials”.
Appearing before the Accountability Court hearing NAB references against him and his family members Nawaz credited himself for resolving the power crisis and reducing unemployment. Look at where the GDP has peaked, we managed to bring prosperity to and eradicate terrorism from the country. We have brought GDP growth to six percent from three present, he claimed.
He said that his Government was never allowed to work in peace by never-ending sit-in protests since 2014 Nawaz called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) the ring leader of crippling protests. Even the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtwankhwa used to lead the protest rally on the federal capital, he added.
Claiming that government resources and vehicles are used to bring the sit-in protestors Nawaz said that nobody is clean of corruption. Imran Khan, Jehangir Tarin, and Aleem Khan are all involved in corruption scandal, he added lashing out at PTI leadership.
Saying that he managed to serve the nation despite the damaging sit-ins Nawaz said that the verdicts of the allegations him remain to be announced. The double standard of the courts is manifesting, there are two different standards for us and the others, the prerequisites of justice must be met, he added.
Stressing that he was punished for having ‘Aqama’ and not for Panama Papers and the judgments against him comes quickly Nawaz claimed that recent judgments by the court severely harmed the economy.
Just look what we have been made through, I just do not know when the verdicts of these cases against us would come, Nawaz added.
He added that the party’s past struggles and sacrifices for democracy do not sit well with their present action [of supporting an anti-democratic law].
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Referring to the courts’ alleged lenient attitude towards PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Nawaz said the rules of the game should be the same.
He said court decisions in their case come swiftly and wondered when the decision on ‘their’ cases will come. “The courts’ double standards are becoming evident,” he said further.
Corruption scandals of PTI leaders Imran, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan also surfaced, he said further.
Nawaz also hit out at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, a PTI leader, saying he used official vehicles to lead rallies against the federal government during the 2014 sit-in.
Despite being exempted from appearance, the former premier and his daughter, Maryam, are attending today’s hearing.
Four prosecution witnesses have been summoned today to record their statements after two witnesses recorded their statements at the last hearing and were cross-examined.
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