How can PM defend his family with tax-payers' money: Imran

Islamabad - Govt media cell accused of defending corruption

  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will have to explain to the nation how he took his wealth out from Pakistan, adding that PM's current speeches at public meetings will be a useless exercise.
Imran announced that PTI is going to approach the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the government's media cell for defending the corruption of the prime minister's family and slinging mud at opposition leaders. "How can Nawaz defend his family with the tax-payers' money," he wondered.
Speaking to media persons outside his Bani Gala residence prior to leaving for Lahore, where he was to lead a rally later in the day for a probe into revelations in the Panama leaks, he said the prime minister faced four allegations: corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and perjury and he must explain how he transferred wealth abroad.
He said the prime minister would have to give answers (to these questions) and claimed the entire opposition had reached a consensus on this. Imran lamented that with people's money an advertisement campaign in the media was under way against the opposition leaders instead of explaining to the nation the questions raised in the wake of Panama leaks. The media cell is run by prime minister's daughter and provided tens of millions to undertake the campaign from national exchequer.
He asserted had Sharif not done anything wrong, he would have declared his assets in parliament, as did British Prime Minister David Cameron. Imran noted that neither he, nor Khursheed Shah nor Jehangir Tareen had been mentioned in the Panama leaks but Sharif's family owed an explanation to the nation on how he transferred money abroad and then bought assets there.
"The government does not blackmail, rather it takes action against criminals and arrests them. Our objection to Sharif is as to how was his wealth was transferred abroad". Imran contended that people wanted to know how Sharif accumulated so much wealth and so many assets and how much tax he had paid. "It is my duty as a politician and my democratic right to ask about the assets of the prime ministers' family and how much tax he had paid over the years." Imran asked the prime minister to share details of taxes he had paid during the last six years, alleging he had no moral justification to stay in office. He Sharif had no right to level allegations against his opponents.
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