LAHORE -  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan yesterday said the Panama leaks case had exposed the real face of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who used politics and public offices to boost his business and increase his wealth.

In an interview to Waqt News, Imran Khan said the Panama issue should have ideally been resolved in the parliament. PTI had to come on the roads on being denied justice in the parliament, he averred.

He lauded his party workers, including women, youth and children, for staging protest sit-ins against corruption. He extended his gratitude towards his supporters who stood by him against corruption and whose support made the rulers accountable.

The PTI chief said Gen Ziaul Haq had brought Nawaz Sharif in politics by holding non-party-based elections in 1985.

Answering a question, Imran said 20 years back, he joined politics because nobody was prepared at that time to speak against corruption. Sounding optimistic regarding the Panama outcome, Imran said he was about to achieve his objective against corruption after 20 years.

He said: “It must be ascertained who is lying, Nawaz Sharif or his children. It has been proven that the country’s plundered money was sent abroad to purchase the London flats and set up offshore companies. BBC has also made a documentary on it.” Khan affirmed he was desirous of engaging Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan as his counsel in the Panama case, but he didn’t do so because of his affiliation with PPP.

Expressing his utter dissatisfaction over the prevalent election system in the country, he said: “The people of Pakistan are more politically conscious than those of the United States, but mandate is stolen here as the parties enjoying voters’ support cannot emerge victorious. In Pakistan’s history, the elections of 1970 were fair and transparent as the people were with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and he won the polls. Nawaz Sharif is so expert in rigging that even a popular leader like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto cannot win elections against him.” He, however, asserted: “Now my party has come to know how polls are rigged, so it will contest the next elections with full preparation and block all the ways of rigging.”

Addressing Nawaz Sharif, Khan said: “If you can’t prove to be a real custodian of the public money, you have no right to become the head of the country.” He said tax recovery level in Pakistan was the lowest in the world for the people had no trust in the rulers. The Panama proceedings and overall outcome would damage the PML-N in the coming elections and prove to be one of the major reasons for its defeat, predicted Imran Khan.

Referring to the PTI-led KP government performance, Khan claimed it ameliorated the life of the common man in the province; 80 percent people were given health cards; first time in the country’s history, 34,000 children shifted from private schools to government academic institutes and the police were given more powers than any other province. Imran Khan appeared to be very confident about retaining KP in 2018. His party would sweep next polls in the province on the basis of its performance, he claimed.

Amid the recent challenges that MQM is facing in Karachi and its new factions coming up there, Imran Khan said a vacuum had been created in the city, terming it an ideal situation for PTI to strengthen its position.

Pakistan is among the nations that have the highest rate of charity collections/donations from the people. Credit goes to Imran Khan for not only identifying this fact, but also giving a visionary roadmap in the healthcare sector and also being an honest custodian of the charities given by the common man in his name.

This has established Imran Khan as an honest, reliable healthcare philanthropist across the world. What is required is to ensure that his opponents must acknowledge his achievements and what he has given to the nation in the social welfare sector. They must refrain from maligning him in this regard.

A glorious cricket career turned Imran Khan into an unmatched charity leader. Later, he emerged as a national leader of one of the largest political parties in Pakistan. Imran reflects clarity, honesty and dedication. His political events and rallies attract big crowds that his contemporaries hardly do so.