Nawaz, Zardari unmasked, their defenders must be ashamed: PTI

ISLAMABAD: The PTI Monday said Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari have been exposed now and those defending them should be ashamed. Speaking to the media persons here on the heels of the accountability court decision in the Al-Azizia corruption case, the minister said Nawaz Sharif failed to give account of his assets abroad despite having been given every possible opportunity, while he had been acquitted by the accountability court in the Flagship Investment corruption case on technical grounds. He said the court acquitted Nawaz in the other corruption reference because his sons were yet to appear before the court.

Fawad pointed out that Nawaz failed to justify his assets abroad in spite of his address to the nation, his speech in the Parliament, before the Supreme Court, the JIT and the accountability court.

“Sharif’s children proved to be so unworthy that they did not even appear in defence of their father. Nawaz cannot be arrested until Hasan Nawaz is sentenced. The children of a three-time prime minister have taken the position that they are British citizens and not Pakistani citizens,” he said.

Fawad said Nawaz himself had said that the Pakistani laws did not apply to his sons, as they were not Pakistani citizens. The minister congratulated the nation on the accountability court’s verdict against Nawaz, dubbing it as historic. He noted how Al-Azizia Mill was established in 2001 and then it was shown in losses and within 18 days in 2010, Hill Metal was set up, which began laying golden eggs and from 2010 to 2015, $10 million were transacted and then millions were deposited in the accounts of drivers of Nawaz and his daughter Maryam. Fawad alleged the mills existed on papers only and it was in fact the commission, taken against the award of projects: it was the taxpayers’ money then sent abroad through illegal means.

The minister brushed aside the allegation that the present government was indulging in politics of victimisation and recalled that the politics of vengeance was done when they sought details of how Imran Khan bought the flat in London 40 years back and who deposited all the related details with receipts. But, he continued, Nawaz failed to provide money trail of his assets abroad.

“Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s birthday is coming in a day. Jinnah had always spoken against financial malpractices and today mafias are being unveiled,” Fawad said.

“In 1992 a law was made when Nawaz became prime minister that the source of money won’t be questioned for the funds coming from abroad, but now according to the NAB law, Section-9 its mandatory to prove the source of income,” he contended.

The minister alleged that fake companies were created, devoid of corporate infrastructure for money laundering and Nawaz would take commission and then send it abroad through illegal means, some of which would return to Pakistan the rest was used in purchase of property that was in the name of his children.

Fawad accused Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah of being involved in money laundering on behalf of Zardari and alleged that Zardari had looted about 35 percent of the Rs2,000 billion provincial developmental budget while referring to the JIT report submitted to the Supreme Court.

Then Fawad invited Special Assistant on Accountability Shahzad Akbar to brief media on ‘munni kaisey badnaam hui’ — a reference to Asif Zardari.”We should appreciate the JIT probe. The JIT has exposed Customs Department in Sindh. Even a fake bank was made to get contracts,” Shahzad Akbar said.

He said as many as Rs9 billion were deposited in the fake bank accounts. He said no substantive action was taken on fake accounts case from 2015-17. He said the FIA started investigations on the case from December 2017. The JIT, he noted, detected 59 suspicious transactions in interviews with 924 people.

Shahzad Akbar talked of a complex web made to do corruption and money laundering, transferring money from one fake account to another and such layering detected up to 48 complex layering.

“Now, we understood that why Pakistan was included in FATF gray list. The JIT report had unasked the entire Zardari system and how commission was extorted from each contract in Sindh and billions were taken as loans and even Summit Bank was established in violation of the SBP rules and subsidies taken away in the name of so-called revival of sick units,” he noted.

He said that the report mentions a man named, Mushtaq, who would escort model Ayyan Ali to airport. The man was given a 12 grade government job when Zardari became president. “When we asked about Mushtaq, we were told that he is Zardari’s masseur,” he remarked.

“The Sindh government gives special subsidy to the Omni group. The group received loans from the National Bank and Sindh Bank in the name of fake companies,” he said.

Shahzad Akbar said that the JIT had recommended filing of 16 references against the Omni Group. “The JIT probed 11,500, interviewed 924 individuals, and examined 24,500 cash transactions,” he said.

Shahzad Akbar noted the JIT had unearthed a nexus between Omni Group and Bahria Town.

Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad expressed disappointment over acquittal of Nawaz Sharif in the Flagship reference.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Sheikh Rashid said the year 2019 is important and more decisions against the corrupt mafia will come during this year. He said that accountability process would be accelerated during the next year.

The minister said that another court decision had come and Nawaz Sharif was harvesting what he had sown. He said that the case of Nawaz Sharif was fought improperly and irresponsibly by the counsel for the accused.

Commenting on the statement of PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, he said that the party leadership accepted courts but not its decisions.

Replying to a question about opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif’s nomination as chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he said that he did not support Shahbaz’s appointment. He said that Shahbaz was expert of dialogue, whereas Prime Minister Imran Khan was a simple man and therefore he agreed on giving Shahbaz the chairmanship of the PAC.

To a question about property of PPP leader Faryal Talpur, he said that she had property everywhere in Sindh but she had not declared it. “These people are financial killers of the nation, “ he added.

The minister said that Imran Khan was struggling for improvement of national economy and visiting China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the purpose.