Malik unveils 'documentary proof' of money laundering by Sharifs
07 May, 2013
LAHORE: Top PPP leader Senator Rehman Malik's outburst against the Sharifs on Monday was part of the election propaganda as it was the PPP government that never initiated any proceedings against the Sharif brothers either in the alleged money laundering or corruption cases or the Asghar Khan case.
Malik, who had faced embarrassment in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the dual nationality case, made several allegations against the Sharifs and put forward many documents but failed to clarify as to why the PPP government failed to reopen these cases during its five-year term.
He also did not explain as to why the PPP candidates did not object to the nomination papers of PML-N leaders on the basis of the evidence that was available with the PPP leadership.
Malik is likely to face embarrassment again as he had better uphold the truth but on Monday he suggested that the Shahbaz Sharif government was running on an SC stay order, which is not a fact and has already been denied by the apex court.
The press conference was apparently a belated attempt by the PPP to show some activity though the PPP government refrained from reopening all these alleged corruption cases during its five-year tenure for obvious political reasons.
A top presidential aide, who had been also the federal law minister, had told that President Zardari had specifically ordered not to reopen the pending alleged corruption and money laundering cases against Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. Not only this, despite the clearest Supreme Court orders in the Asghar Khan case, the PPP government did not initiate investigations against the Sharifs for allegedly receiving huge amounts of money from the ISI.
On Monday, Rehman Malik's focus was the money laundering case against Nawaz and Shahbaz, which is pending before the NAB besides some other cases, investigations and inquiries.
It was clear that Rehman Malik was performing an election stunt as he had this evidence with him since long but his government never pressed these cases and the NAB did not under the federal government orders reopen any case.
The PPP government faced pressure even from within the party to initiate investigations in the light of SC judgment in the Asghar Khan case involving some retired army generals and top politicians including Nawaz and Shahbaz. However, the PPP leaders remained silent and never initiated this probe. It is believed that the PPP government surrendered after a speech by COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani giving an indirect message not to proceed against ex-army men.
Rehman Malik, while presenting evidence regarding the money laundering cases against the Sharifs, said that he will quit politics if he failed to prove his allegations on the basis of his evidence. Malik said that if he is a liar, Nawaz Shairf should take him to the court. He added that as his evidence is strong, so Nawaz Sharif will never dare to take him to the court.
Rehman Malik also repeated an old allegation that the Punjab government completed its five-year term on a stay order. When the same allegation was repeatedly being leveled by the previous PPP government ministers and PPP leaders, the Supreme Court had taken up the issue and had ordered that any person having any evidence on this count should come forward and present to the apex court judgment in which any stay order was granted on the basis of which the Punjab government was continuing.
However, the PPP government again remained silent and never contested this case in court and thus the Supreme Court declared that there was no such stay order.
Had the PPP government initiated these probes, investigations and reopened all these closed cases against the Sharifs, the issues would have been settled by now. If the Sharifs would have been guilty, they could be sentenced. But, the PPP government avoided reopening these cases and strengthened the PTI chief Imran Khan's allegation that both the two major political parties have a nexus and an unholy alliance and will never open corruption cases against one another.
Allegations a 'political stunt': PML-N
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday termed Rahman Malik's allegations against Nawaz Sharif a "political stunt", saying that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had nothing to present to the people to seek votes.
Former interior minister Rahman Malik had accused PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif of money laundering, and challenged that he would leave politics if he was proven wrong. PML-N Central Information Secretary Mushahidullah Khan, reacting to Rahman Malik's assertions, said that such things were of no importance at the present because "it is simply to dent the popularity of the PML-N".
Khan questioned why Rahman Malik could not present "proofs" when he was the interior minister of the country, having immense resources at his disposal. He said that people like Rahman Malik had no concern with the interests of Pakistan. "What they have done with this country is going to cost them heavily in election."
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