MUHAMMAD SALEEM

LAHORE: Reacting to the decision of accountability court in the Avenfield corruption reference, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif on Friday termed the decision unjust and “a dark chapter in history” and announced that his party would explore all legal and constitutional options to get justice.

“The Pakistani nation and the PML-N reject this decision. This is a dark chapter in the history of country. There was no solid legal evidence in the entire case. It is an unfair decision,” Shahbaz told media at a news conference at PML-N Model Town Secretariat.

The PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique, Mushahid Hussein Syed, Hamza Shahbaz, Mohammad Pervaiz Malik, Khawaja Ahmed Hassan and others were present on the occasion.

Answering a question, Shahbaz said the PML-N would contest July 25 elections and he would visit every nook and corner of the country to spread the party message and highlight the injustice meted out to the PML-N. “Voters will make their decision on July 25 which will be a real decision,” he said. “The timing of the decision is an attempt to affect the electoral process and it is an obligation for the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure a level-playing field for all the political parties and check any injustice. The ECP must take notice of all wrong-doings,” he said.

To another question, Shahbaz said the opponents are busy in propagating that Nawaz would remain in self exile. He regretted that opponents have even politicized the illness of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

Recounting incidents when the NAB dismissed a case against another political figure on grounds that original documents were not available, Shahbaz said in Nawaz Sharif’s case the decision has been announced against him even though “there was not even a single document of evidence proving Nawaz Sharif’s ownership or without even his name being in Panama [papers].”

Shahbaz said Nawaz “appeared before the accountability court as many as 109 times. “They were calling him every day. There was even talk of holding hearings on weekends,” he added. He also said that there are other cases in which corruption “has been proved in black and white” and yet no verdicts were announced against the culprits.

Citing an example, Shahbaz said a commission report in the Nandipur case points towards Babar Awan but no action was taken against him. “The person they did choose to announce a verdict against was Nawaz Sharif. No one can deny that Nawaz made Pakistan a nuclear power,” Shahbaz said while recounting a list of the “many gifts” his brother has given to the nation.

“Even our biggest political opponent cannot say that the promises the party made in the 2013 election have not been delivered upon by Nawaz Sharif,” Shahbaz said. “Nawaz is a man whose wife is between life and death but it was not given any consideration. Is this justice? Is this humanity?” he wondered.

He also announced that all future PML-N rallies will be considered a mode of peaceful protest. Shahbaz said he wishes to remind the nation that “you are ‘azeem’ Pakistanis. Don’t be heartbroken by this verdict.” The PML-N candidates should continue their election rallies and observe peaceful protest, he further directed.