Nawaz questions Imran's ‘politics of principles’ after Zardari deal

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif once again on Wednesday cast aspersions on election for Senate chairman, saying the loyalties of legislators were purchased to clinch the coveted post of the Upper House of Parliament. 

Speaking to the media inside the accountability court, Sharif lamented he is not being allowed to visit his ailing wife who is undergoing treatment in London.

To a question about the recent meeting between Prime Minister Shahid  Khaqan Abbasi and Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, he said he and the former has not yet discussed the tête-à-tête. “If I talked to him about the meeting I will apprise you of it,” he told reporters.

Commenting on the political situation of Balochistan, Sharif said political developments that have taken place over the last three months were being questioned. The loyalties of legislators were bought for Senate chairman, he claimed.

He said the prime minister should take notice of this. Turning guns on his political rivals, the former premier asked PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PTI chairman Imran Khan to explain who they bought the loyalties of lawmakers for.

Imran voted for PPP’s nominee for deputy Senate chairman despite that he had been persistently claiming for 20 years that he would not side with any party. “Khan Sahib says he does the politics of principles. What principles are these,” he asked.

To a question about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) having gathered more evidences against him and members of his family, Sharif said had there been any evidence, supplementary references wouldn’t have been filed.

About former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, the PML-N leader said he was fugitive from justice, but the question is that how long he will run away from courts.

Sharif said it took efforts of four years to restore peace and revival of international cricket in the country.

On the judiciary, he said the chief justice faced a backlog of 1.8 million pending cases to pull off.