Imran says 'Lanat' mild word to curse Parliament

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan began his much-awaited presser that he earlier described would be ‘explosive’, in which he repeated diatribe against Nawaz Sharif saying the wealth of former prime minister expanded ‘manifold’ after 1992.

Khan was shortly questioned by journalists to explain his statement he made a day earlier cursing Parliament. The PTI chairman said the word [Lanat] he used was very mild. “I still reserved what could have been the strongest word,” he replied.

He said the law minister spoke a lie in the Parliament couple of times about Khatam-e-Nabuwat ordinance and its amendment. “Nawaz Sharif told a lie on the Assembly floor.” These people are risks to the Parliament, he added.

“Sharif brothers have been indulged in money laundering worth Rs1.74 billion through FZE Capital, Hills Metal and other foreign companies,” he alleged.

He claimed that ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif adopted various ways to transfer his money abroad. “Sharif laundered his money of up to Rs800 million through his daughter Maryam Nawaz and around Rs240 million through the employees of Punjab Police and family members to evade being caught in money laundering,” Khan said.

Coming on Punjab police’s poor performance, the PTI chief held Sharifs responsible for unsatisfactory performance of the provincial police department.

He also took an aim at incumbent foreign minister Khawaja Asif, who earlier condemned Khan’s anti-parliament remarks, and said the foreign minister had also possessed an Iqama (foreign work permit).

“Khawaja Asif was receiving a monthly pay of around Rs1.6 million from a UAE company,” he said.

Defending his anti-parliament remarks, Khan said: “Had this been a civilised nation, Nawaz Sharif would have been in jail rather than asking ‘mujhe kyun nikala’ (why was I ousted)?”

“People like Nawaz Sharif and Asif Khawaja are responsible for destruction of the parliament,” Khan said.

He turned his guns on Jang Group owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman and said he had accumulated vast wealth in London. “Where did the money come from?”

Khan demanded of the media group owner to public all his financial statements.

Moreover, he appreciated National Accountability Bureau (NAB) efforts for a corruption-free society. He congratulated the NAB chairman for issuing summons to Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif.