Nawaz Sharif says PML-N wants accountability, not power

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said his party does not wish to form a government but demands accountability of those responsible for Pakistan’s “destruction”, ARY News reported.

While addressing the party’s parliamentary board meeting flanked by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Vice President Maryam Nawaz and other leaders in Lahore, the former premier renewed his demand to hold accountable those elements behind his ouster from power in 2017 and responsible for Pakistan’s “destruction”.

“PML-N leaders were put behind bars in false cases and I am being delivered justice after seven years,” Nawaz Sharif said.

“Our demand is not to form governments after winning general elections,” the former premier stressed. “Who ruined the country? Who brought the country to this point today? There should be accountability.”

He went on to say that Al-Qadir case was the “biggest corruption scandal in the history of Pakistan”

Without naming anyone, Nawaz Sharif said a person was brought to power who knew nothing about politics, economy or foreign policy.

It is pertinent to mention here that Nawaz Sharif, who returned to Pakistan from exile in October, was convicted by the accountability court in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references, however, earlier this week he was acquitted by the IHC in the Avenfield reference.

The accountability court had awarded a 10-year jail term with eight million Pounds fine to Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield case and 7-year sentence in Al-Azizia reference. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million.