MULTAN: Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz has demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan ask the ministers named in the Pandora Leaks to resign.

Hamza, who is on a south Punjab tour, told reporters on Tuesday PM Khan had demanded resignation of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif when the Panama papers had surfaced.

He said the investigation agency of the UK kept the accounts of Shehbaz Sharif frozen for 21 months but money laundering could not be proved.

He said land for Diamer-Basha Dam had been purchased with the cost of billions several years ago but work on the project was suspended due to incompetence of the incumbent government.

He said the PML-N had been politically victimised during the last three years of the PTI rule.

“Nawaz, Shehbaz, Hamza and Maryam, all of them are facing cases,” he lamented.

He said Nawaz would return to Pakistan when there would be an improvement in his health conditions.

He said the much-touted dream of Naya Pakistan had been shattered as the Imran government had badly failed to provide any relief to the masses.

“The incumbent government obtained more loans from all the previous governments. There has been an extraordinary increase in the prices of electricity, fertilizers and medicines in the PTI rule. A friendly country like China has shown reservations in connection with no progress over the Pakistan China Economic Corridor,” he said.

He said the PML-N talked about civilian supremacy as the country could not be strengthened by weakening its institutions.

“We’re not in confrontation with any institution; rather our confrontation is with hunger and poverty as price hike has made it difficult for people to earn two times meal,” he said.

He said the PML-N initiated record development projects in south Punjab and Shehbaz as the chief minister allocated a special job quota for south Punjab which now had been put in cold storage.

He said Imran Khan should tell where was his promise to establish south Punjab province within 100 days.

“The PML-N government constructed 98km Hasilpur-Bahawalpur Road with a cost of Rs34bn. The project of a kidney centre in Multan was completed (by the Shehbaz government) where kidney transplant is being done. Unfortunately, the PTI government ignored south Punjab badly; after coming into power again, the PML-N will put the area on the path of development.”

He said political parties should sit together and devise a future course of action for the betterment of the country.

“Political parties should have to devise a line of action for the progress and development of the country,” he said.

He said the election should be transparent.

Hamza said the NAB chairman should be appointed with the consultation of the leader of the opposition.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2021