GUJRANWALA, Dec 7 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Saturday said the whole nation was still awaiting the answers of 18 questions put by the government on Shehbaz Sharif’s money laundering.
“The nation wants to know the answers of 18 questions about money laundering committed by Shehbaz Sharif through specially hired cash boys from his Model Town residence and office,” she said while talking to media persons here.
She said instead of responding to the money laundering allegations, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesmen were trying to divert public attention by unduly criticizing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government just in the animosity of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The SAPM said the nation wanted to know that how Shehbaz Sharif managed to transport abroad the cash bags from the Model Town Residence and Office, which was later received by the Sharif family through telegraphic transactions in Pakistan.
Dr Firdous said the PML-N spokesmen wanted to evaluate one-year performance of the PTI government, but they were not talking about those who remained in power generation by generation, plundered the national wealth for decades and put the national economy on ventilator.
She said the Sharif family’s corruption had been exposed, adding Shehbaz Sharif gave government employment at the Chief Minister Secretariat to the cash boys as facilitators in money laundering.
“It is a strange and horrible tale of the corruption,” she added.
She said the questions would keep haunting Shehbaz Sharif that why Nisar Gill and Ali Ahmed had been appointed on important positions, and what was his (Shehbaz) relation with Masroor Anwar and Shoaib Qamar appointed in the Good Nature Company.
The SAPM said the Sharif family and his absconding relatives should face the courts in Pakistan and prove the corruption and money laundering allegations wrong.
The Prime Minister, she said, had promised with the nation that the looted national wealth would be brought back, and the process of recovering the plundered money had started in the country.
She said an immature politician in Sindh, whose party “commander in chief’ had been involved in Benami Accounts and corruption cases and now facing number of inquiries and investigations, was pointing finger at the PTI government.
“It is in the manifesto of PTI that looters and plunders of the national wealth will not be spared,” she said, adding the PTI was working as per its agenda and succeeding in the mission in lines with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Dr Firdous said the government was fully aware of the problems confronted by the general public and required measures were being taken to control the price hike. “The Prime Minister is committed to control and price hike and end unemployment from the country.”
Referring to the recently launched ‘Youth Entrepreneur Scheme’ by the prime minister, she said under the programme, the youth would be given business loans to make them self-reliant and useful members of the society.
To a question about a petition filed by Maryam Nawaz seeking her removal from the Exit Control List (ECL), she said Maryam had not approached the government but the court which would decide the matter under law and constitution.
“As the court gives any verdict on the matter, the government will be in a position to respond” she said adding that the government believed in equality of law. However, she said Maryam wanted relief on the pretention of taking care of her father in England despite the fact that her brothers were also there to look after him.
About Asif Ali Zardari, she said, he had submitted a bail application with the Accountability Court which would decide the matter, though the applicant was facing six references, 11 investigations and 20 inquiries against him.
However, she said the government would abide by the court decision, as it believed in supremacy of the constitution and law.
To a question she said that the Punjab government was inaugurating various development projects in the province which needed to be highlighted in the media.
She said that the development projects being inaugurated by the Bilawal Bhutto could not have been completed if Prime Minister Imran Khan had not released fund. She said that Bilawal Bhutto should thank Prime Minister Imran Khan for giving share under National Finance Commission to ensure provincial development.
She advised the Sindh government to launch corruption free development projects in the province.
Responding to another question, she said, Prime Minister Imran Khan had issued directives to all the police officers for strict action against the elements involved in rape, child abuse and photography. The government would show zero tolerance on the said issues and would legislate on the matter, she added.
She viewed that such incidents could not be ended unless an exemplary punishment was awarded to the culprits. “We are going to introduce a law on child abuse in Punjab as the standing committee is vetting it. We desire the provincial assembly passes the bill as soon as possible,” she remarked.
The SAPM strongly rejected a media report that Misbah-ul-Haq had been given the charge of dual offices on the recommendation of a renowned religious scholar and added that all the decisions on cricket had been made purely on merit.
Firdous Ahiq Awan said that the international cricket was returning to Pakistan and 2020 would be proved as the best year for the cricket in Pakistan. However, she said the government was taking measures to reform the basic infrastructure of the cricket.
