Sardar Assef rejoins PTI

LAHORE: Former federal minister Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali once again announced joining the PTI on Friday. Addressing the media along with PTI chief Imran Khan and others, Sardar Assef said that in its detailed judgment, the Supreme Court had responded to the question “why I was expelled” by Nawaz Sharif. He lauded Imran’s efforts to purge Pakistan of corruption and stated the PTI chief was the only leader without any stigma of corruption. 

He said it was only due to the efforts of Imran that the accountability of the Sharif family was initiated and now they were destined to face Adyala Jail.  Imran Khan said PTI will not grant development funds to any of its MPs after coming into power. He said he would not let anyone use the party platform for personal gains.

Welcoming Assef to the party, Imran said the PTI was struggling to achieve the goal of turning Pakistan into the state envisaged by Quaid-i-Azam. He said the PTI would hold direct elections for the slots of mayor and other district council offices. “With an economic disaster looming and complete paralysis of governance, Pakistan needs early elections to strengthen democracy and economy.” 

Criticizing the PML-N over a World Bank report that, he said, it predicted Pakistan would miss all key macro-indicator targets set for this fiscal year, he remarked that the WB report painted a grim picture of Pakistan’s economy.

Citing the SC Panama verdict, he said Nawaz plundered the national wealth, but it was unfortunate that institutions responsible to nab Nawaz and other corrupt elements were siding with them. He said Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was granting Rs 94 billion to MNAs in the name of development funds that was an example of mega corruption. The public money was being granted to MNAs so that they could act as per wishes of the rulers. He said both Nawaz and Zardari had a common trait of buying loyalties through public money.