Daily Times

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif Friday demanded a legal action and daily court proceedings against Prime Minister Imran Khan after the scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released its report stating that the PTI had hid millions of rupees worth of funds.

“A person who hides facts, steals, and lies, cannot hold constitutional, governmental or political office,” he said in a statement on Twitter. Contrary to the report findings, the PTI claimed that it did not hide anything from the Election Commission.

Shehbaz asked, “If the law can apply to a popular leader like Nawaz Sharif, why not Imran Niazi?”

“If a Panama Papers JIT can be formed against Nawaz Sharif, and can be overseen by the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, then why can this not be done for Imran Niazi?” he further inquired. Shehbaz said under the Constitution of Pakistan and its laws, “no thief can be a prime minister”.

“Imran Niazi, who has been proven a thief and a liar under the law, must resign,” he added. Shehbaz said the Constitution, law and political code of conduct dictate that PM Imran Khan step down from office.

“The ECP’s scrutiny committee has said that Imran Niazi is neither honest nor trustworthy,” he added.

Shehbaz demanded a probe against Imran Khan and daily hearing of his case as had been done in the case of Nawaz Sharif. He said equal treatment under the Constitution and law was a fundamental tenet of Pakistan’s laws and one that must be fulfilled. “The ECP’s scrutiny committee has charged Imran Niazi and his party under the law,” he said. Shehbaz said the country was operating “without a (real) prime minister”, and was being governed under a “constitutional and legal vaccuum”.

“[Pakistan has] no leader of the parliament,” he said, adding, “Under the law and Constitution, Imran Niazi cannot decide on the country’s affairs.” “After the ECP scrutiny report, any decision that is made cannot be considered constitutional or legal,” Shehbaz said.

The opposition leader also demanded a review of the deal with the IMF and the supplementary finance bill, termed by the opposition a “mini-budget”.

He also called for all those named in ECP’s report to resign, and for a legal action “without delay” against four PTI employees, as well all others involved in accepting foreign funding for the party. Shehbaz said he will speak to the opposition on the “grave constitutional vacuum” that the ECP’s findings have led to.

“All parties and workers that have faith in the Constitution and the law will have to play their part in bringing Pakistan out of this constitutional vacuum,” he said.

He said further investigations were needed into which other foreign entities donated to the party and that details of PTI’s international accounts must be brought to the fore.

“The people who accepted illegal funds from non-state actors and companies are a threat to the nuclear power that Pakistan is,” he said.

The opposition leader said had such revelations come to light in a western country, the prime minister there would have already resigned.

Shehbaz said on page 92 of the report, “it is mentioned that from 2009-13, PTI hid 53 bank accounts”, while disclosing “only 12 bank accounts to the ECP”.

He said the State Bank of Pakistan’s information to the ECP revealed that PTI had a total of 65 accounts.