LAHORE - PAT chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri has reiterated his doubt on impartial investigation of ruling Sharif family in Panama case and even termed the prime minister’s appearance on Thursday before the joint investigation team ‘a drama’.
Talking to journalists at an iftar dinner hosted in honour of the leaders of different political parties on Thursday, Pakistan Awami Tehreek head said that the people presumed the entire episode of Sharif family’s investigation as real but it was actually a well-scripted documentary which would end with giving clean chit to the rulers in all corruption cases against them.
“Today I heard diverse opinions on Nawaz Sharif’s presence before JIT. I give respect to all views but my views are the same I expressed on Monday,” he said in reply to a question that how he took country’s chief executive appearance before the six-member body investigating money laundering cases against Sharifs on Supreme Court direction.
The PAT chief returned to the country on Monday morning from Canada where he has been living permanently with family since 2005. Talking to the media at Lahore airport on his return, he had alleged that JIT instead of investigation of Sharifs was actually preparing election manifesto for PML-N.
He repeated the same words at Thursday’s dinner which was attended by Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid, PPP leader Mian Manzor Watoo, Jamaat-e-Islami acting chief Liaqat Baloch, PTI leader Chaudhary Sarwar, Pak Sarzmeen Party leader Raza Haroon and PML-Q leader Mian Imran Masood besides leaders and workers of his own party.
“They (Sharifs) are so powerful and influential that nobody alone in Pakistan could challenge their authoritarianism. Sharifs had looted the resources and made billions of rupees through corruption by staying in power. Poor people and state is helpless before their corrupt practices,” he alleged and called for the unity of political forces and masses to challenge the authority of ruling family.
According to Dr Qadri, the efforts would badly fail if someone thinks to compete with the PML-N by making struggle alone. Elaborating his point, he said PML-N always managed electoral victory from Punjab with the power of police and bureaucracy and later it made alliance with different groups from other provinces to occupy the centre.
Punjab, he said, always remained at their (PML-N) focus to control the federation. And, he added, it was not easy to defeat the ruling party from the country’s biggest province whose all resources were in its control. So, he emphasised, there was a dire need that political forces became united against the “evil force.”
Sheikh Rashid, on occasion, hoped that an opposition alliance would be formed against the PML-N after Eid. The politician from Rawalpindi predicted that Supreme Court would disqualify Sharifs in Panama case.
Manzor Watoo said his party stood with PAT in Model Town case demanding the Supreme Court to take action against those involved in killing of innocent people at a time when it already brought to justice the most powerful person of the country.
Liaqat Baloch highlighted the need of unity among opposition parties. He said political parties should unite to bring electoral reform and end corruption in the country.
Raza Haroon of PSP urged the need for changing the system instead of faces. He highlighted the vows of water shortage and dirt in the port city and criticised those who were at the helm of affairs.