ISLAMABAD – Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday raised doubts over the accountability process in the backdrop of Panama papers case that led to his ouster while assuring that he would continue to fight for restoring the sanctity of the vote.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab House Islamabad after his first appearance before the accountability court, the former premier expressed that the members of Joint Investigation Team were chosen through a WhatsApp call and many of them were facing inquiries.
Nawaz wondered whether this was a fair trial that led to his disqualification from office and affirmed that the 20 million people should be allowed to decide who was ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’.
He also censured the top court for constituting a five-member bench and three-member bench regarding his review petitions.
The former PM noted that not a single penny worth of corruption or misuse of power was proved in the Panama papers case and the Iqama excuse was used to disqualify him.
“They should have told the people that nothing was found in the Panama Papers,” he remarked.
“The same court became the head of National Accountability Bureau and most probably the same court will hear my last appeal,” he mentioned and expressed that he was not given the right to appeal the verdict.
The politician claimed that the Panama case verdict was rejected by legal experts and so how could he accept the verdict.
‘Despite false cases and torture, I never bowed down before a dictator, we believe in the supremacy of law, and have sacrificed greatly for it’ Nawaz Sharif said.
Nawaz Sharif expressed that he asked 12 questions while addressing a lawyer’s convention in Lahore but no answer was produced.
“The answers to those questions cannot come either,” he claimed.
The third-time ousted politician thanked the voters of NA-120, Lahore for ensuring the victory of his wife and party candidate Kulsoom Nawaz and vowed that the verdict of people in next general elections would sweep many cases including Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan case.
‘I know why I was punished for’ noted Nawaz Sharif and added that the elected leaders should not be targeted through excuses.
Sharif claimed that he never planned to stay abroad without any purpose but he had to go due to the illness of wife.
“It was never discussed that I will stay abroad,” he said.
The former premier also highlighted the development projects started in his tenure and assured that he would continue to fight for the masses.
Nawaz also condemned the incident at the accountability court earlier today when a journalist was manhandled and asked Talal Chaudhry to investigate the matter.
Senior party leaders, including Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, were also present alongside the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader.
Nawaz Sharif had returned to the country on Monday after spending few weeks in London where his wife is undergoing treatment for Lymphoma.
He made a brief appearance before an accountability court today.
