Nawaz Sharif refuses to resign

The Federal Cabinet meeting, chaired by beleaguered Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has flatly rejected the Panama joint investigation team (JIT)’s damning report against the Sharif family and termed the JIT findings a pack of ‘assumptions and allegations’.

Addressing the high-level meeting, the premier vowed to ‘expose’ the plot behind Panama Papers fiasco targeting his family.

The PM said: “The language used in the JIT report has a spasm of ‘dishonesty’.” He challenged his detractors, saying if they had any proofs of corruption against him and Shahbaz Sharif then they should be brought to light.

Our family has been in business since 1937, said Mr. Sharif.

He called himself ‘squeaky-clean’, and vowed he won’t resign on anyone’s demand.

The decision to convene the meeting of the cabinet was taken at a high-level huddle at the Prime Minister’s House yesterday (July 12), which was the third meeting since the release of the JIT report.

The ruling party once again on Wednesday declared that the premier won’t resign and will challenge the content of the report in the Supreme Court.

In a tweet, PM’s daughter Mariyam Nawaz Sharif resolved, “InshAllah PM will not resign. He won’t resign because  no a single allegation of misuse of public money has been proved against him in his five- year in power.”

Addressing a press conference, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that some content of the Panamagate JIT report “was based on a naked bias” and categorically denied rumors that the PM will resign or step aside.

She repeated that the party had its reservations over some of the members of JIT and they were proven after this final report.

However, the opposition parties on the other hand stepped up their campaign to exert pressure on the PM to step down.

Addressing separate press conferences in the capital city, the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders expressed apprehension that if the PM stayed in offence the democratic system would suffer.

While addressing a press conference, PTI leader Asad Umar called on the PM and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to resign in the wake of the report.

Recalling PM Sharif’s statement, he said that the premier himself said he would go home if any wrongdoing is proven against him.

Source: Agencies