Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that he was disqualified merely on holding an Aqama but PTI Chief Imran Khan was cleared of allegations of money laundering despite his confession of wrong doing.

“Despite all investigations, no proof of money laundering was found against me and I was disqualified for holding an Aqama. But, Imran Khan despite his tendering an apology for wrong doing was cleared of charges,” he said talking to media in front of Accountability Court.

“How could be a person cleared of charges who confesses wrong doing and tenders unconditional apology while a sitting Prime Minister be disqualified even when no allegation is proved against him,” he added.

He said Imran Khan had confessed transaction of millions of pounds for construction of house as well as investments in Niazi Services. “But, our courts cleared him of charges despite his confession. It is matter of record and I am not beating about the bush.”

Nawaz Sharif said if Imran Khan had not committed any crime why he had to tender unconditional apology before the court. “He had confessed about his crime and money to which the case pertained to, was either pilfered or siphoned off or it was money laundering. In any case, it was a crime but he was declared truthful and righteous.”

Contrary to it, he said, an elected Prime Minister was disqualified on an imaginative salary and Aqama that in other terms is a Visa. “Now the nation has to decide on this matter and the nation would definitely give its verdict in 2018 elections.”

Referring to NA-120 by-election, Nawaz Sharif said Imran had claimed after the court decision against him (Nawaz) that the said election would be a referendum against the PML-N. “But, Maryam led campaign in NA-120 forced Imran Khan to eat dust. You (Imran) lost the referendum in NA-120 and 2018 election would also prove to be a referendum against you.”

He said it cannot work that one person is pushed to wall and other is bailed out and then it is stated that the justice has been done.

“All this is moving forward through a strategy. But, the time has changed and it is 2018 and not 1947, 1958, 1969 or 1977. Time has changed, the nation is awake and we shall have to meet obligations of present times,” he added.

When asked about bail of Imran Khan from anti-terrorism court, Nawaz Sharif said, there are many secrets in this matter and he will inform the nation about it.

He said Imran had been making hue and cry by playing up rigging mantra, but was any rigging found in any constituency. “What kind of rigging he had been talking about, I could not understand.”

He sought any solid reason behind his summoning to courts and trying for the charges which were not proved against him during investigation.

When asked about his visit to Saudi Arabia, Nawaz Sharif said, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are brotherly countries having cordial relations since former’s inception. “We enjoy mutual bonds of affection and these bonds are cementing with every passing day.”

He said his visit to Saudi Arabia was not a ‘wonder of the world.’ “People who nurtured rumors were spiteful not to me but also to friendly relations between the two countries. Their conduct was highly irresponsible.”

Talking about the country’s prevailing political environment, PML-N President Muammad Nawaz Sharif stressed the need for holding the upcoming general election, scheduled to be held this year, in a free, fair and transparent manner to strengthen democracy and put the county on the real path of progress and prosperity.
“Give the democracy a chance to flourish,” he said and warned in the same breath that any misadventure to steal the mandate of people would prove counter-productive and drag the country away from progress and prosperity.
Terming the 2018 as an election year, he deplored that the history and fairness of elections in the country had not been so good.
The PML-N leader said no election was held in the country in first 23 years after its creation and later, either the elections were manipulated or the results of vote were not accepted wholeheartedly.
“That is why from Liaquat Ali Khan Shaheed, not even a single prime minister of the country completed his/her constitutional tenure,” he observed.
He feared that the history was being repeated in 2018 elections to stop one party from progressing ahead and impose those parties and people who lack public support.
Nawaz Sharif said the people whose politics revolves around lies, accusations and sit-ins and those whom people of Pakistan rejected repeatedly were being imposed on them.
However, he said, the people of Pakistan were well educated, so their opinion should be respected.
He warned that if such activities continued, he would come forward with all the evidences and proofs and make them public and would also reveal before the people of Pakistan what had happened during the last four years.
He underlined the need for ensuring providing level-playing field to every political party in the election-2018, paving the way to flourish the democracy in its real form.
Quoting a recent survey, he said PML-N’s popularity among the public had significantly increased and expressed the confidence that it would again emerge as a leading political party in the next general election.

Source: APP