Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday announced that a petition against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the issue of Panama leaks would be filed in the Supreme Court on Monday (today).

Talking to media and addressing a party meeting during his visit to Lahore, the PTI chief said that Nawaz Sharif was not responding on the Panama issue. “Why isn’t the National Accountability Bureau taking any action against the PM,” he asked, and maintained that they have decided to knock the door of the apex court since they have sufficient evidence against the prime minister to prove their case.

The PTI chief asserted that corruption can only be eliminated by starting accountability from the higher officials. “Once Pakistan’s accountability institutions begin accountability with the prime minister, the country will start moving ahead,” he said, and added that he will invite all political parties for consultation over the Panama issue.

Imran said that his party’s ‘ehtisab rally’ in Lahore on September 3 would prove that masses completely support PTI’s stance over corruption by the rulers as well as demand for their accountability.

He said that he will send delegates to all the opposition parties to invite them to participate in the September 3 protest, and hoped that they will bring their own containers in the rally.

Imran said that Nawaz Sharif was not interested in breaking the deadlock over formation of ToRs for investigation into Panama scandal only to save his own skin. He said that a proposal to convene an all-parties conference (APC) over the Panama issue was also under consideration.

He took exception to the PML-N government for spending 56 percent of the development funds in Lahore alone, neglecting other parts of the province. “You see the post-rain situation in the province…this could have been prevented if other districts and villages of Punjab were paid equal attention to,” he said.

Imran strongly condemned anti-Pakistan statements by Altaf Hussain and demanded Pakistan government get a case registered against him in the United Kingdom for inciting violence in another country through hate speeches. He said MQM workers attacking media houses after his speech provided enough ground to lodge a case against Altaf Hussain in UK. He said the MQM chief’s speeches were more venomous than those of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said no political party in India can remain functional if allegation of receiving funds from ISI is proved against it. “But, unfortunately no action has been taken against MQM despite evidence that it received funds from RAW,” he deplored.

Imran Khan demanded operation by Rangers against target killers in Lahore city too, saying the killers of innocent people in Model Town were still at large.