Islamabad, Pakistan
14 July 2017
(APP)

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday said the “controversial” report of Joint Investigation Team on Panama case was mere a pack of accusations by opponents and lacked any substantive evidence.

“Not a single sentence of JIT report gives a clue that Nawaz Sharif is guilty of corruption,” the Prime Minister said in his capacity as president of Pakistan Muslim League-N while chairing its parliamentary party meeting, here at PM’s Office today.

However, he expressed confidence that the Court would listen to his apprehensions regarding the JIT report.

Nawaz Sharif categorically said that he had a clean conscience and would not resign on the demands of those who were rejected by the masses not once, but several times.

He thanked the nation and his party members for standing with him with full unity and devotion.

Nawaz Sharif said the report only targetted his family’s 62 years of business matters through allegations, accusations and source reports. “Mention, if you know even a minuscule corruption case against me during my five tenures of government or against Shehbaz’s tenures,” he stressed.

He said none of the contracts and tenders relating his hundreds of projects were blemished with commissions, kick-backs or corruption.

Sharif said an uncalled-for campaign was launched following his success in 2013 general election, including the dharnas (sit-in). “Now this is the third attack, but Allah is with us and so our nation,” he said.

He regretted that elements favouring political instability and uncertainty were proving detrimental for the country. He said the stock market was in a plunge due to present circumstances that earlier touched the record bullish trend of 54,000 points.

Sharif said in the past as well, he braved all challenges put against him and remained steadfast to his stance and ideology. Even I did not lose heart when declared ineligible to contest election and nor bowed before the dictatorship of General Musharraf, he added.

Nawaz Sharif said he did a long march for the restoration of judiciary risking his own life, whereas those claiming them as big leaders went underground. He said several American and British leaders had telephoned him not to endanger his life by leading the long march.

“I believe in democracy, rule of law and independence of judiciary. The long march was a difficult mission but our sincerity ended in success by the grace of Allah,” he said.

Sharif said never in the country’s history, the power generation projects were initiated at such large scale.
“Who will hold accountable those who forced the country into the age of darkness owing to power outages,” he said, referring to the previous government not paying heed to the severe electricity crisis.

“While installating three power plants only, we saved Rs 168 billion. Is this the norm of corrupt people?,” he said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said his government along with the military eliminated terrorism amid the news that terrorists were about to infiltrate the capital.

“We broke the back of terror elements by hitting them right, improved Karachi’s law and order and attained stability in Balochistan where the flag of Pakistan now waves high,” he said.

He said the national economy was progressing well and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could rise above 7 percent had the continuous conspiracies of anarchist political elements ended.

He recalled that before 2013, Pakistan was going to be declared as a failed state, however such scene was out of question at present. “I feel sorry that once again efforts are being made to push the country on backwards, ruining our profound hard work done,” he said.

Earlier, the party members gave a warm welcome to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his arrival to chair the meeting. They gave a big round of applause and thumped desks.