PTI considers money laundering as mother of all evils: Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Saturday said that when the chief minister of one of the biggest province is involved in money laundering than the country has every chance to be included in the grey list of the FATF, ARY NEWS reported.  

“In 2018 we were about to be included in the blacklist from the grey list and would have face ban even on importing medicines in the country,” he said during a presser and added that the incumbent government devised a mechanism with the consultation of all stakeholders to avoid the glaring situation.

Pakistan was included in the grey list over money laundering charges as even millions of rupees have been transferred from the country in the name of a man selling faluda, the SAPM on accountability said.

“We started to improve the things and initially brought an ordinance to act against the menace,” he said adding that they consider money laundering as the mother of all evils as it has a root behind every crime in the country.

He blamed that opposition did not consider money laundering as a heinous crime.

“FATF asked us to legislate on certain matters and we have to show FATF through our measures that we are against money laundering,” Shahzad Akbar said.

He said that legislation on money laundering should be carried out keeping in view the national interest rather than for fulfilling personal agendas.

Nawaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar’s return 

Speaking over the return of the PML-N leader to Pakistan, Shahzad Akbar said that Nawaz Sharif did not convey any reports regarding him from abroad.

“Shahbaz Sharif was a guarantor in his case and should respond regarding his status,” he said.

He said that Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified by the court for a lifetime and now he could not return to the politics practically.

Read More: Enacting FATF-related legislation a national duty of govt: PM Imran Khan

His politics is now confined around Oxford Street, the PTI leader said and suggested Nawaz Sharif to stop playing drawing-room politics and go to the masses.

He said that it was NAB’s responsibility to bring back the top PML-N leader from London.

Speaking regarding Ishaq Dar, another PML-N leader staying abroad, Shahzad Akber said that the accused was taking advantage of the foreign laws to delay his return to the country.

“However we will bring him back,” he said.