Opposition parties lambast Sharif for stretching out his tenure

ISLAMABAD: As the Supreme Court is seized with the findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) leveling serious corruption charges against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the opposition political parties continue to lambaste him for stretching out his tenure and not allowing the parliament to go on with the business of electing a new prime minister.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Babar Awan chided the PML-N leadership for crying foul over the JIT findings, saying that those who distributed sweets over the judgment in the Panama Papers case were now raising objections.

Speaking in a program on ARY News, he said the ruling party could not raise objections to the report, nor could it boycott the findings. “In response to 13 questions, 113 cases have come up against the Sharif family. The case is about the Sharif family remitting public money abroad.”

Pakistan People’s Party senior leader Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said the Supreme Court is not legally bound by the JIT report. It will decide the case independently keeping in view the material collected by JIT  report, he added.

Aitzaz alleged that the Sharif family remitted money to Saudi Arabia and then to London. Then that money in shape of gifts was brought back home.” He added that the Sharif family used such means to evade taxes. He predicted the Sharif family will also be held to account in London too for committing wrongdoings.

Speaking to reporters in the premises of the top court, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed accused the government of using delaying tactics. “They have anything to say. If the Volume X of the JIT report is opened more details will come to light,” he added.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s Liaqat Baloch said the case was of paramount significance as the entire nation was pinning hopes on the apex court to conduct accountability of rulers. He also advised the ruling party to refrain from criticizing the independent judiciary.