ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to PM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar claimed Wednesday that proof of Shahbaz Sharif were his cheques. He said that Shahbaz Sharif established dozens of companies in the names of his employees for transactions of billions.
During a news conference here, he dared Shahbaz Sharif to sue him in London, if what he was claiming was wrong and said that they had done investigations and had in possessions related undeniable documentary evidence
He explained that black money was transferred through hundi and hawala and was whitened through bringing it back through TTs. He said that the companies were established after 2007 and a phenomenal increase in their (Shahbaz family) assets was witnessed during the last ten years.
Shahzad Akbar noted that the salaries of the employees on whose names, these companies were established ranged between Rs18,000 and Rs70,000 and they served in Sharif Feed Mill and Ramazan Sugar Mills. Chiniot Power and Model Town residents of Katchi abadies were also involved in the process. He also mentioned names of Manzoor paparwala, Mehboob Ali newspaper vendor Rameez Shahid, whose names were used for the shady activities.
“In the benami accounts of these persons, Rs17.40 billion were transferred while interestingly, these employees are registered in EOBI. In the account of one employee, Rs450 million were transferred,” he maintained.
He noted that all the evidence was with the National Accountability Bureau and it should file a case, as the case is ready. He added if he was making a wrong statement, he was ready to face case from Shahbaz Sharif in London.
Special Assistant contended that it would be impossible for the PML-N leader to come out clean in these matters, but Shahbaz Sharif kept on parroting, he would not believe in it.
Addressing Shahbaz Sharif, he said, “You declared that you will drag me on the streets of London, but nothing such happened. You said to quit politics, if corruption even of a penny was proved against you. Now, what more proofs are required.”
He said when abroad Shahbaz would say Salman and Hamza were his children and before NAB, he would say, he had nothing to do with them, as they were adults. He added whenever, hot wind started blowing, they (Sharifs) flee abroad and now again, hot wind was about to blow.
Regarding Nawaz Sharif, he said that before the coronavirus pandemic, a count of his platelets was going on moment by moment but afterwards, there was no news of his treatment of operation. “The cure of coronavirus was not found yet, but cure of his disease was found,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif in his tweets said, “IK accused me of offering him a bribe of Rs10 billion to be silent in Panama case through Javed Sadiq as frontman. Then it was said I siphoned off money from Multan Metro, a baseless charge rejected by Chinese govt. Even to this day, he has not presented a single piece of evidence in court!”
He said, “Feel sorry for NAB/Niazi for always running away from court of law and deploying poor old tactics of propaganda on media to save their own gross incompetence & corrupt practices in sugar/wheat/medicines/Peshawar BRT. No propaganda can cover up your poor governance & incompetence!”
Meanwhile, PML-N Secretary lnformation Marriyum Aurangzeb slammed Shahzad Akbar's allegations and has challenged him to come up with any objectionable cheque, transaction with or any contract named under Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz or Salman Shahbaz.
Talking to media in Islamabad, Marriyum said Shahzad Akbar's press conference was a plethora of blatant lies without any proof, which is a part of vicious smear campaign against the Sharif family.
She challenged him to publicly present concrete evidence of a direct link of Shahbaz with any of the accusations levelled.
She challenged him to prove Shahbaz' association with any of these businesses, cheques or companies that he lied about in the presser. She dared him to produce a single cheque with the name of Shahbaz, Hamza or Salman on it.
The former information minister said every single business owned by the Sharif family is declared with the FBR in accordance with the law. Instead of blurting out lies at press conferences, Shahzad Akbar must tell name of any company through which the Sharif family conducts its business and is not declared with the FBR, she dared.
Marriyum said the fourth challenge to Shahzad is that he must publicly reveal any contracts of personal enrichment done by Shahbaz while he was building hundreds of billions worth of Metro Bus Projects, Power Plants, Roads, Motorways and hospitals. And he must also make public authentic proof they can hold in court who submitted these cheques for which contract in Shahbaz Sharif's account.
The PML-N Secretary lnformation challenged Shahzad to prove with undeniable evidence what illegal procedures were adopted in the companies in question and which specific laws were violated. He needs to stop levelling hollow, baseless and fictitious accusations and show with proof where exactly was corruption done and of what nature and what amount was transacted under which kickbacks, she lambasted.
Marriyum said these press conferences are the worst example of defamation and political harassment and Shahbaz Sharif and the Sharif family cannot be cornered by such heinous witch-hunts and smear campaigns.
