Daily Times

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Friday said the dollar wasn’t raised even by 10 paisas without permission during his term in power.

In an informal talk with journalists during his court appearance, Nawaz said, “There was a balance between dollar and the rupee during my time. The world called our economy from 2013 to 2017 strong and balanced.”

The former prime minister said, “They say we used artificial means to stabilise the dollar, if it is so then they can do it too.” “What is the artificial way to maintain the price of dollar?” he questioned.

Turning to his brother Shehbaz Sharif’s imprisonment, Nawaz said, “For what crime has Shehbaz been imprisoned? Someone should ask how accountability is being done. National Accountability Bureau should stay the way it is right now … if we are suffering then others should too.” “NAB should also probe Imran Khan’s helicopter case and his family’s assets,” he said.

“We are asked time and again why we went out of the country after 1999. Pervez Musharraf exiled us … we did not go on our own,” he said.

“Shehbaz fought election for the first time from Karachi and lost by only 500 votes to Faisal Vawda … and we all know how it happened,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, December 8^th 2018.