Sugar scandal: PML-N leaders demand resignations from Asad, Razzaq, Usman

LAHORE: Central Deputy Secretary of PML-N Ataullah Tarar, Azma Bukhari and Rana Mashhood in a joint presser have demanded resignation from Asad Umar, Razzaq Daud, and Usman Buzdar over their involvement in sugar scandal.

They said PM Imran Khan is living in a house spread over 400 Kanals, but the NAB would never question him. They said Hamza Shahbaz is innocent and would be released soon. Tarar said the sacrifices of Hamza Shahbaz for democracy are worth writing in golden words. He said the NAB and Niazi have put the life of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif at risk for their political vendetta, which is a criminal act. They said CM Buzdar gave subsidy over sugar and Imran Khan allowed its export, so they are accomplices of sugar mafia and should be held equally responsible.

Former deputy speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmed said the nation has been struggling for bread and butter since the day Imran Khan assumed the role of prime minister. The country was prospering under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, but the day he was out of power, the economy of the country started to face downfall. Similarly, he said, Shahbaz Sharif worked day and night to put Punjab on the path to progress and the present government crossed all limits of persecution against the PMLN leadership but couldn't prove a single penny of corruption. He said no scandal had come to surface over the five years of PML-N rule in the Centre and 10 years’ rule in Punjab. Unfortunately, Mashhood, said incompetent, corrupt and fraudulent elements came to power and have been deceiving the nation through false statistics and figures. He said the incompetence of the PTI government could well be assessed from the fact that Pakistan stands at 148th number in the global community as far as tackling of corona is concerned.

He said the PML-N leadership is ready to answer NAB queries on Skype, but the government made an attempt to make compromise on the life of a leader.

Demanding a parliamentary commission over corona, he said the government had cheated the nation in the name of health. He said hospitals are short of beds and ventilators. The PML-N leader demanded that the government explain its position as to what had been its preparation in tackling corona and what had been the trail of the money spent on the pandemic. He demanded putting Shahzad Akber and Zulfi Bokhari's name on ECL.

Former health minister Khwaja Imran Nazir said Hamza Shahbaz is imprisoned but he would be proven innocent in this case. Grilling the government for its poor handling of the corona situation, he said the government is in such a miserable state that it has not followed the instructions of the World Health Organization. He said the WHO had written to Health Minister Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid and advised her not to ease the lockdown. On the other hand, he said, the government’s wrong decision has increased the number of corona cases. He said the ominous signs of the government's wrongdoings are looming over the country and warned that such elements wouldn't be spared by the nation. He said the honeymoon period for the government is over and the nation would hold its accountability.

Azma Bukhari said the PML-N has not done any political activity for the last two years. The year 2020 was termed the election year for the new government. She said the story of the government's failure is long, which could be seen in the shape of petrol shortage and sugar scandal. She said the controversial statements of PTI leaders have exposed them in a bitter way. She said Shahzad Akbar has referred the sugar subsidy case to the NAB and now Buzdar has no moral ground to hold the portfolio of chief minister after giving a subsidy of Rs 3 billion.