'I will resign if proven guilty', says Sharif

Islamabad - "I will resign and go home if proven guilty by the Panama Papers probe."

Bowing to the opposition demand Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday announced his intention to write to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to form a commission to probe the Panama Papers which exposed massive wealth of his family stashed abroad in offshore companies.
In his address to the nation the prime minister rejected all allegations and declared: "I will resign and go home if proven guilty by the Panama Papers probe."
"I challenge all those who are alleging tax fraud to come forward and present evidence," the premier added.
Most part of his speech was devoted to a scathing counter attack on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan accusing him of conspiring to destabilise the government by indulging in agitational politics.
He also reiterated his riposte against former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf for toppling an elected government, putting him in jail and then forcing him to live in exile abroad for eight years. Sharif also made an oblique reference that while a dictator was taking such autocratic measures, my critic (Imran Khan) was wooing him to make him prime minister.
Referring to the Panama Papers and subsequent uproar in the country targeting mainly his children, Sharif said: "Soon after the issue surfaced, I took the nation into confidence and ordered the formation of a judicial commission under the supervision of a retired supreme court judge."
"We have answered such allegations in the past and we will do it again, because we believe that as a democratic government and representatives of the people, it is our duty to answer these allegations, said the premier. "The commission has not yet been established, but people have already passed judgments," stated the premier.
Nawaz added the government has always supported accountability, and has taken steps to make the taxpayers directory public on FBR's website.
"When I was told that the details of assets of public representatives were removed from the election commission's website, I took notice of the issue and asked Ishaq Dar to re-issue these details," elaborated the prime minister.
Nawaz reiterated that he is only answerable to the people of Pakistan, and not to politicians which indulge in point scoring.
He also requested the media to first confirm facts behind any allegations before bringing it to the public.
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• Pakistan