ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: A day after filing a reference against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with Speaker National Assembly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday said that his party will soon file a reference in Supreme Court to determine the fate of the premier in light of offshore companies owned by his children.

After presiding over the core committee meeting of the party, Imran told reporters that the delaying tactics by the government in formulating consensus terms of reference (ToRs), the party is left with no option but to approach the apex court seeking justice.

“We filed references with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and NA Speaker and now we are going to approach the Supreme Court over Panama leaks, as this Panama is issue is a turning point in the history of Pakistan to eradicate the menace of corruption, so we can’t let it go like this,” he added.

Imran said that PTI has evidence against the Prime Minister which will be presented before the top court of the country, as all his investment made aboard were done through money laundering.

He claimed that Nawaz Sharif also owns Shamrock Company. PTI chairman further stated that in August, 1992, one Javed Kayani opened three foreign currency accounts in the name of Salman Zia, Muhammad Ramzan, Asghar Ali at Habib Bank, AG Zurich, Lahore, with deposits of less than US$300 each.

According to Imran, Javed Kayani then opened more “fake” accounts in the name of Kashif Masood Qazi and Mrs Nuzhat Gohar Qazi at the Bank of America, Lahore and Sikandar Masood Qazi at Citibank Lahore.

However, he said the individuals are genuine but they are UK nationals and had never visited Pakistan during the time when their foreign currency accounts were opened in Lahore in Pakistan.

“DBSs [dollar bearer certificates] of $1.5 million were deposited in the accounts of Kashif Masood Qazi and Sikandar Masood Qazi and later $500,000 in the account of Nuzhat Gohar Qazi was transferred to the account of Kashif Masood Qazi,” he added.

He said that his party has all the receipts of claim which he has also mentioned in the references and the evidence will be presented before the Supreme Court. “All these things which I’ve mentioned here were also accepted by Ishaq Dar in an affidavit after seven years that he did money laundering for Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

He also announced that he will hold a grand rally in Gujrat next Sunday followed by Jhelum, and then a grand rally in Gujranwala which will then proceed to Lahore, where the party will give its next line of action.

He strongly condemned Indian PM Narendra Modi’s remarks on Balochistan, saying Nawaz Sharif should give a befitting reply to his Indian counterpart by rising above his business interests as he is the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

“The Prime Minister should respond to him, as mere condemnation by Sartaj Aziz [adviser to prime minister on foreign affairs] is not enough,” he added.

To a question about the reference filed by the government against him with NA Speaker, he said that it is nothing but blackmailing tactics through which the government wants to divert Panama controversy, but he is not going to budge from his stance on the issue.

“I’ll fight to the end as this has exposed the Nawaz Sharif, as his daughter had offshore companies twenty years ago…NAB has failed to curb the menace of corruption, while government is making all out efforts to rig elections as they know if they’re out from power, they’ve no other place to go except prison,” he added.

PTI chairman Imran Khan also claimed that a senior leader of the ruling government personally told him that the government has offered Army Chief to accept the position of field martial but he is still reluctant.