SIALKOT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and his family must face the same stringent process of accountability that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family were subjected to, Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif said at a press conference held at his Sialkot Cantt residence on Saturday evening.

The federal minister said that the prime minister had presented the money trail of three generations of his family and now Mr Khan would have to do the same.

Clarifying that this was a political demand, Mr Asif said Mr Khan’s accountability was necessary in order to meet the growing demands of the prevailing political situation in the country. “The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has demanded that Mr Khan be made to pass through the same needle eye the prime minister was forced to pass through,” he said.

Defence minister rubbishes rumours that he might be made interim PM

The PML-N leader added that his party would not allow Mr Khan to walk away unscathed from the political drama involving the Panama Papers, and demanded that the PTI chief present himself for accountability in the precedent set by the prime minister.

Mr Khan must present a complete records of his own wealth, the wealth of his three generations and the complete money trail, the defence minister said, before casting aspersions on finances involving Mr Khan’s philanthropic projects.

He said it was absolutely necessary to ascertain whether the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, the PTI and the NUML University were being used for money laundering or not. Terming the PTI leader “Double Shah”, the minister alleged that Mr Khan had looted the zakat and sadqa donations to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Mr Khan must tell the nation where he had gotten the money to buy a flat in London from, he said, adding that the PTI had also received funding from foreign sources.

“If Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif can present complete details of the businesses and wealth of three of his generations, why can’t Mr Khan do the same?” The PML-N leader said the nation demanded to know where Mr Khan had received his funds from.

The PTI chief must stop doing politics under the cover of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Mr Asif thundered. “There is no way he can escape accountability now.”

The defence minister stressed that the Panama Papers did not carry the prime minister’s name but nevertheless, he had been held accountable because of his children’s businesses.

The PML-N had complete respect for and confidence in the Supreme Court, he said. “We are certain that PM Sharif and his family will emerge victorious from this.”

He rubbished rumours that there were plans to make him prime minister for 45 days in case PM Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court. The PML-N was united under the dynamic leadership of PM Sharif, the defence minister said, stressing that the PML-N’s top leadership had not yet discussed options of who would replace Mr Sharif as prime minister in case he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2017