ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (APP): Minister of State for Privatization Muhammad Zubair on Wednesday said the threat given by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PT) chief Imran Khan to shut down the Federal Capital on November 2 would be like an attack on the state.
It would be a dangerous step and an unconstitutional act as no precedence of closing down state functioning in the country’s history since 1947, he said while addressing a press conference along with PML-N leader Danyal Aziz here.
The minister said that government made serious efforts to resolve the issue of Panama Leaks and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif even announced an enquiry commission.
He said legislation was introduced in National Assembly to remove reservations of the apex court and the option was given to conduct investigation through Federal Investigation Agency but the PTI did not accept any of them.
The Ministry of Finance, he said, wrote letters to Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue and other relevant institutions to proceed on issue of Panama Leaks but the PTI leadership did not show seriousness.
Muhammad Zubair said the committee on terms of committee could not work due to the attitude of opposition parties, which also disrupted the process for legislation over Panama Leaks.
He said Imran Khan did accept investigation by any national institution, rather he wanted probe on his own terms and conditions.
He said Imran Khan had caused huge loss to the country’s economy due to his activities in the past and he was again going to create hurdles in the working of national institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Danyal Aziz alleged that donations for cancer patients were misused by Imran Khan by investing in offshore companies and audit reports of the Shaukat Khanum Hospital for 2010 and 2015 also showed embezzlement of funds.
He said it was astonishing as to how the amount invested by Imran Khan in Sunny Bar International Limited remained safe despite loss of $18.256 million. “The nation wants to know which Indian investor has borne the loss for Imran Khan and what was the motive behind that,” he added.
He said the bill about Panama Leaks tabled by the government in the National Assembly had been forwarded to the relevant standing committee while that of the opposition was still pending in the Senate.
“Non-serious attitude of the opposition is evident from the fact that the members do not attend the sittings of standing committee while the Pakistan Peoples Party tries to defer the same,” Daniyal added.
He said Imran Khan and Jehangir Tareen had been asked by the Election Commission of Pakistan to submit their reply in the disqualification references filed against them. Imran had announced not to clarify his position as he was in the habit of disgracing the state institutions.
Danyal Aziz said investigation would be carried out into the transactions made by Imran Khan, Aleem Khan and Jehangir Tareen through their off-shore companies.
To a question, Muhammad Zubair said all the surveys conducted in the country showed that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was a popular leader while his unopposed re-election as President of the Pakistan Muslim League-N was an example of his popularity within the party.
