PESHAWAR: Awami National Party central president Asfandyar Wali Khan has demanded across the board accountability of the persons identified in the inquiry committee report on wheat and sugar crises.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said that the nation would see now as to what type of punishment Prime Minister Imran Khan would suggest for his close friends including cabinet members indentified in the inquiry committee report.

The ANP leader doubted that prime minister would take action against his friends. Being chairman of Economic Coordination Committee, would the prime minister take action against his cronies whose names had been mentioned in the report, he questioned.

The ANP chief said that the report carried names of Jahangir Tareen, Khusro Bakhtiar and other allies of the prime minister. He said that close aides of the prime minister were the main culprits and beneficiaries of the wheat and sugar crises.

“No minister and adviser in the federal cabinet will escape unscathed if even handed accountability is conducted into the scandal,” he said. He added that a person disqualified by the Supreme Court was chairing and attending high level meetings, but action was not taken against him.

Mr Khan said that the inquiry report proved that businessmen played key role to bring Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf into power in the centre and provinces. He said that these people had made investment in PTI for gaining financial benefits. He said that prime minister might announce “amnesty scheme” to protect his cronies.

The ANP leader said that prime minister had announced huge package for his friends associated with the construction sector. He doubted that Imran Khan might announce another package for his friends involved in sugar and wheat crises. He said that mafia and corrupt people were sitting to the left and right of the prime minister.

Mr Khan said that instead of taking credit for making the inquiry report public, prime minister should take action against his friends involved in the scandal.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2020