LAHORE - Punjab Government Spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has said PTI Chairman Imran Khan is ‘hiding himself behind false excuses’ after hurling blames at Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, he said the government has been calling him to court to prove his Rs10b bribe blames for the past four months.
Imran alleged that the Punjab chief minister had offered him Rs 10 billion for withdrawing from Panama case, the spokesman said, adding that the CM sought clarification from Imran before filing defamation case but the later failed to do so.
After serving legal notice, defamation suit had been filed in the civil court, he said. He said that according to law, Imran Khan was bound to submit reply before the honorable court within 30 days but he had been using delaying tactics in pretext of one or another.
The spokesman said that Imran had been served with various court notices for appearance but in vain.
“Now through the media, we are again demanding him to reply his baseless allegation against a leader of national stature and chief executive of a province,” he added.
Shehbaz Sharif had already presented himself for accountability at any forum time and again but, on the other hand, Imran Khan was habitual of telling lies, he said.
The spokesman said that record of 56 Punjab government companies had been submitted to the Auditor General of Pakistan for audit.
“These companies were established for better delivery of services and are working according to book,” he added.
Responding to a query, he said that NAB had legal right to start investigations against any major financial transaction but it did not mean that any irregularity was proved. The Punjab chief Minister had always encouraged transparency in all government departments, including public sector companies, and no irregularity would be tolerated in this regard, he concluded.