Nawaz forbidden from making speech in Davos due to corruption investigation

Author: By Rana Mushtaq

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s failure to make a speech during his four-day stay in Davos has sparked resentment among the people.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spent millions of rupees on his luxuriant visit during the visit but failed to address any important forum because he was not allowed by the management of Davos Economic Forum to address any function.

The main reason for not allowing the prime minister to deliver a speech on any forum was said to be the alleged involvement of the prime minister in massive corruption in Pakistan. He could only hold a meeting with the Sri Lankan prime minister and no bilateral meeting with the head of any other country took place. The entire nation was desperately frustrated over the country being made a laughing stock by the prime minister during his visit.

In contrast, the former army chief Gen (r) Raheel Sharif was held in great reverence in the conference and he addressed several forums and participated in many debates. The meeting of the World Economic Forum is held every year in Davos in the month of January and world leaders are invited to address it.

Nawaz Sharif had gone to attend the Davos Forum without any invitation from its sponsors and spent millions of rupees on his visit out of the national kitty. But he had to face disappointment when he was not allowed to address the forum. The prime minister stayed in five-star hotels in Switzerland at the cost of the nations’ taxpayers.

Official sources said he spent over four days there just talking to Pakistani journalists before leaving for London in sheer despair. The PM had made special arrangements for his visit to Davos and he had a speech prepared. But he could not present his written speech in the forum.

The official spokesman declined to comment on the matter.