ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Friday accused Nawaz Sharif of making “dangerous insinuations” in his speech on Thursday by claiming that a conspiracy had been launched against the prime minister either by the judiciary or military.

Addressing a press conference at his Banigala residence to welcome Pakistan Peoples Party leader Imtiaz Safdar Warraich to the PTI, Mr Khan while referring to the probe being conducted into the Panama Papers case by the joint investigation team (JIT) reiterated his demand that Mr Sharif should resign from the office of prime minister.

“The JIT should not feel threatened by the threats being hurled at them as they have the support of the masses,” he said.

Warns PML-N against not accepting court verdict in Panama Papers case

Referring to the premier’s statement that a “larger JIT” would probe the various parties’ performance in 2018, Mr Khan asked whether being elected in a general election gave one the licence to indulge in wrongdoing.

“This nation is in debt because of the ongoing corruption and money laundering,” he said and described the letters said to be sent by a Qatari prince as a fraud.

“They [the Sharif family] don’t have any other way to prove how the money went from Pakistan to purchase the London properties. The PM did not produce that letter for eight months and suddenly brought it out after his address in the parliament,” said the PTI chairman.

He alleged that some members and leaders of the ruling party were hinting at not accepting the judiciary’s verdict in the Panama Papers case. “We will make you accept the JIT’s decision. If your supporters take to the streets they will be facing a sea of people supporting the judiciary,” he remarked.

He claimed that every year foreign exchange worth $10 billion was “laundered out of Pakistan”. “That’s why the youths are not getting jobs. If the head of the state gets involved in money laundering the crime cannot be eradicated.”

In response to a question, he said his party would issue as many as 900 tickets across the country for the next general election. So there would be enough room to accommodate all the candidates and ensure merit in the distribution of party tickets. Mr Warraich, who was present on the occasion, earlier met Mr Khan and announced his decision to join the PTI.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2017