ISLAMABAD: Talking to TV anchors on Monday, Nawaz Sharif announced that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is to “keep serving Punjab as the CM and will not come to Islamabad”.

The former premier said that the CM is to keep his position in Punjab and apparently, PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is to serve as the leader of the House until PML-N’s tenure expires in mid 2018.

Nawaz Sharif also said that he would not accept the premier’s position in case PML-N wins the review case in the top court.-INP

BR staff reporter adds: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was ousted by Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case Monday insisted “if there is one single judge who can dare hold a dictator accountable.”

Talking to a group of anchorpersons of television channels, Sharif questioned: “Does any court in the country or a judge hold dictators like Pervez Musharraf accountable and punishable? Who will hold those accountable who were responsible for disintegration of the country?”

He also posed questions on the remarks passed by the Supreme Court judges during hearings of the Panama Papers case, saying they used the terms like “godfather” and “Sicilian mafia.”

“Does Sicilian mafia appear before the JIT [joint investigation team]?...a judge even passed remarks that Prime Minister should know that there is a lot of space in the Adiala Jail,” he said. “Using such remarks for a prime minister was “inappropriate,” he added.

The former premier said he had written to the Chief Justice regarding the judge’s remarks related to Adiala jail, adding he was expecting a response but his letter never got a response.

He also regretted a remark by a judge who said: “Behind every great fortune there is a crime,” saying such remarks were regrettable.

Sharif also claimed that the decision to disqualify him had already been taken and only a justification was being sought, adding it was “inappropriate” that a person with a mandate of millions is disqualified by five honorable judges “for not taking salary from son’s company”.

Referring to his Wednesday journey from Islamabad to Lahore, he clarified that it is not a protest but a journey back to home. He said he would travel via GT Road despite security situation, adding, “risks need to be taken for the country”.

The former premier also expressed his displeasure at the apex court’s decision to appoint a judge for overseeing National Accountability Bureau (NAB) proceedings against his family. “It jeopardizes our right of appeal,” he said. He also raised objection on giving six weeks to the NAB for filing the references, saying the timeframe was aimed at collecting more material against his family.

He repeated the allegation that the members of the JIT were chosen through “WhatsApp.”

Asked whether he would file a review petition against the apex court’s verdict, Sharif said “How can one expect good from review petition when the judgment is not based on right grounds?”

However, he said that he would meet his lawyer Khawaja Haris on Tuesday to discuss the possible review petition. “Like Musharraf, I’m not going to run away anywhere, but I will face the situation whatsoever it might be,” he added.

He insisted that he had not been involved in any misappropriation of public funds during his tenure and lamented that he was disqualified for a minor issue when nothing was found against him in the Panama Papers case. He claimed that even the judges mentioned in their remarks there were no allegations of corruption or misuse of authority against him.