NA-154 victory a response to accountability on revenge: Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD - Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday lashed out at corruption cases against his family and reiterated his stance that revenge was being taken in the name of accountability.

Talking to media outside an accountability court in Islamabad after attending the hearing, he said that people of Pakistan were fighting his case, adding that natives of Lodhran had given their response to this revenge. He said that victory of Pakistan Muslime League-Nawaz (Nawaz) in Lodhran depicted supremacy of vote.

According to unofficial results of the by-election, the ruling PML-N has won for the constituency of NA-154 Lodhran, dealing a major blow to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) before the general elections.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/vote-counting-in-na-154-lodhran-by-poll-underway/

PML-N’s Iqbal Shah managed to secure 113,542 votes, while his competitor, PTI’s Ali Tareen, contesting his first election on his father’s seat, could bag 85,933 votes.

"I do not know why the revenge is taken," the former premier lamented, adding, "Those who are taking revenge should interrogate the persons who violated the Constitution of Pakistan and arrested the judges".

In a veil reference to former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the PML-N president questioned why the action was taken against violators of the Constitution. 


Supplementary Reference

Nawaz Sharif, who is facing corruption trial in three references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the light of Panamagate verdict, slammed anti-graft watchdogs' move to file supplementary references.

He said that filing of supplementary references raised questions over the credibility of the references, which had earlier been filed by the NAB. "There would be no need to file addition reference if the original reference had any substantial evidence".

After Panama Papers verdict, the NAB had filed three references regarding London properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments against Nawaz Sharif, his children - Hasan, Hussain and Maryam Nawaz - and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar.

Currently, the NAB Rawalpindi under its new Director Irfan Mangi, who was also a member of the Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT), is preparing two supplementary references in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Ltd cases against the Sharifs.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/nawaz-sharif-refuses-to-appear-before-nab-in-al-azizia-flagship-cases/

The references are being prepared in light of an interview given by Nawaz Sharif's son, Hussain Nawaz, to a private news channel. The purpose of summoning Nawaz was to make him aware of the new evidence.

However, the former premier did not appear before the NAB Rawalpindi to record his statement in the said cases.

Today's Court Proceedings

The former premier, along with his daughter and son-in-law appeared before the court of Judge Mohammad Bashir to attend the hearing of corruption cases.

As the hearing began, the judge was informed that prosecution witnesses are present in the court. But the case did not proceed due to lawyers' strike on the demise of prominent lawyer Asma Jahangir.

The court has adjourned the case until Feb 15.