LAHORE: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated on Saturday that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Imran Khan, who has used filthy language and made false accusations against his political opponents, is now the certified embodiment of lying, dishonesty, and deceit.
The prime minister said at a news conference here that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s judgment on Tosha Khana was a matter of retrospection because the person who had persistently engaged in mudslinging had been proven to be a certified thief, a liar, and dishonest.
He claimed that Imran Niazi was found guilty of corrupt acts by the ECP and that he came to power through the worst type of rigging.
According to the prime minister, Imran Niazi unlawfully sold priceless presents donated by friendly countries, bringing a negative name to the country.
He claimed that the ECP ruling confirmed his position that the bogus allegations and political witch-hunting against them during Imran Niazi’s term were the consequence of NAB-Niazi collusion.
The prime minister also congratulated the country on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) announcement of the grey list.
He stated that it was all possible due to the nation’s efforts, unity, and wisdom, as well as the hard work of the relevant authorities, the coalition government’s political leadership, and the stakeholders.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated on Saturday that Imran Khan used to call his opponents thugs, but the Election Commission of Pakistan has now pronounced him a “certified thief” in the Toshakhana case (ECP).
He stated that Pakistan had been removed from FATF’s grey list due to the efforts of all coalition parties in the government, the Pakistani military, and other relevant institutions.
He made these remarks during a news conference here in Model Town. He was accompanied by Attaullah Tarar, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM), and Azam Nazir Tarar, the Federal Law Minister.
Shehbaz Sharif claimed that Imran Khan’s unjustified rallies, harassment, abusive language, and blame games undermined Pakistan’s dignity and reputation around the world. Imran Khan had never spared any of his opponents, whether old men, women, or experienced politicians.
He used to refer to them as thieves and enemies of Pakistan, and today he was labeled a “certified thief and a liar.” He observed that it was not a happy moment, but rather a point of fear and a lesson to be learned.
He stated that Imran Khan appointed the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) who condemned him in the Toshakhana case. Previously, he (Imran Khan) was all praise for the CEC, describing him as a trustworthy, sincere, and fair individual.
According to the prime minister, Imran Khan was convicted because of his corrupt practices.
He claimed that the PTI president had auctioned off vehicles and cow heads from the PM House in the name of austerity and that he consistently claimed that rupee depreciation against the dollar or increases in oil and energy prices showed that the country’s prime minister was a robber.
He says, however, that Imran Khan sold a valuable wristwatch for Rs 150 million illegally and did not even pay Toshakhana 20% of the amount before selling it. Furthermore, he expressed sorrow that the PTI chairman did not obtain market price estimates for the watch.
PM Shehbaz Sharif stated that he had also gotten a valuable watch as a gift and that the Establishment Division had asked him in a letter to obtain the watch by paying 20% of its value, but he refused, and the item remained at the PM House. He claimed to have enhanced the Toshakhana system to properly care for treasured gifts.
Imran Khan, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has brought a terrible name to Pakistan by destroying merit in the country. He preached about democracy all the time, but his thought was fascist. Through his negative thinking, he always seeks to split the country.
The flood-affected individuals, according to the prime minister, are still living under the open sky, and the government is trying to complete the second phase of their rehabilitation before the start of the winter season. He went on to say that blaming others and dividing the country for political gain will not solve the problem. He stated that all such projects and other national difficulties were always resolved via teamwork and wisdom.
Shehbaz Sharif claimed that Imran Khan lied about his assets when submitting his nomination papers to the electoral commission. He also included incorrect account numbers in his tax forms, and when the State Bank of Pakistan pointed them out, the ECP investigated and discovered that there were no money trails on those accounts.
He also assisted her elder sister in obtaining an “NRO” from the FBR through trickery. He also took a woman captive at the PM House and blackmailed the NAB chairman so that corruption charges involving the Billion Tree Tsunami, BRT Peshawar, helicopter, and Malam Jabba could not be opened.
Shehbaz Sharif stated that in 2019, then-prime minister Imran Khan’s advisor Shahzad Akbar sent a slew of documents to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the United Kingdom against him in a money-laundering case.
However, following a comprehensive investigation, the NCA confirmed in a UK court that there was nothing illegal in the money trail, and the case was closed and he was pronounced innocent. In Allah’s favor, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted Maryam Nawaz and Ahsan Iqbal in such contrived cases by Imran Khan.
PM Shehbaz Sharif stated that FATF had removed Pakistan from its “grey list” due to the efforts of all coalition parties in government, the Pakistani military, and other relevant institutions.
He praised the government’s allies and the army chief on their outstanding success. He claimed that when Imran Khan was prime minister, he was uninterested in FATF-related issues and legislation in parliament, whereas the opposition did its duty and helped improve FATF-related bills.
READ MORE: ECP disqualifies Imran Khan under Article 63 (1)(P) for five years
“Today, Allah Almighty helped us, and we are no longer on the FATF’s grey list,” he stated. This significant advancement would assist the commercial sector and the regular citizen in dealing with major issues.
He stated that Pakistan had previously been placed on the FATF’s grey list, but that the then-Nawaz Sharif government had successfully removed the country from it. Unfortunately, Pakistan was reinstated on the grey list since the country’s economy was in jeopardy as a result of the previous government’s disastrous policies, blame game, and harassment.
In response to questioning from reporters, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Imran Khan was hell-bent on causing political instability in the country. On the one side, he preached about Riyasat-e-Madina, while on the other, he razed poor people’s houses in Bani Gala merely to save his own.
In response to a question, he stated that the law would take its course and that the “certified thief” would not be allowed to enter Islamabad. He went on to say that democracy was not in jeopardy in the country and that the administration will continue to operate within the confines of the law and the Constitution. He stated that there were 11 months until the next general election and that the election date was at the discretion of the current government.
He stated that the selection of the army chief was a routine constitutional procedure that would be handled as such.
In response to another question on Punjab’s concerns over wheat supply, the prime minister stated that the federal government had purchased wheat and made decisions for the distribution of the commodity among the provinces with unanimity among the ruling alliance parties.
He stated that the Punjab government was seeking import permissions for the private sector. He voiced concern that if Punjab imported wheat through the private sector, the commodities purchased would become prohibitively expensive for the average person.
He said that the Punjab government did not control fertilizer prices and the black market, depriving farmers of critical agricultural input and contributing to the province’s low wheat crop yield. Shehbaz stated that the administration had saved the country billions of rupees in the latest wheat import deal.
In response to another question, he indicated that bilateral trade between Pakistan and India may reduce poverty; nevertheless, he stated that trade with India was difficult until the key concerns, particularly the core issue of Kashmir, were resolved.
