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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday the opposition was not entitled to ask questions and advised his adversaries not to assume the role of a judicial commission on the question of the PanamaLeaks.
“I will say in parliament what is required to be stated there and respond before the judicial commission what has to be asked by that forum,” he said while talking to the accompanying media on his return sojourn from Tajikistan after inaugurating the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA)-1000 power project that would provide 1,000MW power at cheaper rates to Pakistan within two years. The prime minister made light of a query pertaining to the demand for his stepping down made by some politicians with a broad smile. When the questioner insisted on the query, the prime minister, referring to his laughter, said, “I have already replied.”
To yet another question,maintained that the leaders who are shouting about corruption are not opposed to the menace but “They are after me.”
Offering his comment about the fresh demand of an opposition leader for holding probe into PanamaLeaks by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he narrated the story of opposition’s changing goal post on this count and reminded that as soon the papers were reported in the media, he announced constitution of a commission under a retired credible retired judge of the Supreme Court that was demanded by leader of the opposition in the Senate as well. “The step was discarded and they demanded to write letter to the chief justice of the country for the commission, I obliged the demand as soon I returned from London after treatment and afterwards a dispute was created on terms of reference (ToRs) and now they are backtracking from the demand of constitution of judicial commission,” he said.
The prime minister said that he would consider referring the matter to the NAB through consultations with his advisers once it becomes a serious proposition. The prime minster without naming Imran Khan said that he hasn’t accepted him as prime minister right from the beginning despite assurance in the initial days that he would cooperate with the government for development of the country. He said that he visited him in hospital first when he was injured and then his house but his agenda is to create instability through uncalled for protests and sit-ins.
“The negative politics had proved fatal for the nation in past and it wouldn’t help in any manner in future as well,” he said. Nawaz said that he is earnestly awaiting the formation of judicial commission on PanamaLeaks so that the nation could get a transparent picture of the scenario. “It is my genuine desire that the commission led by chief justice of the Supreme Court should be formed at the earliest,” he said.
Nawaz said his family is affiliated with business since 1937 and suffered immense financial loss of their East Pakistan-based factory following the Dhaka fall and another in West Pakistan taken over by the government of then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “Nobody cares for our massive financial losses, but keeps on asking about the assets,” he said, and added that the opposition’s criticism was not meant for bringing any betterment to the country but was aimed at only targeting him personally. “We have suffered on account of politics but not earned, the way some people have done.”
He said the opposition should rather have a development-oriented agenda as negative politics had always proved detrimental for the country. “Those having such nefarious designs should focus on protecting Pakistan’s interests,” he said, adding that the opposition’s agenda was no other than sit-ins and protests.
When asked some people belonging to the PTI are also named in Panama Papers, the PM said media should question them as well.
On relations with Central Asia, Nawaz said these states had expressed great interest in enhancing connectivity with Pakistan and using Gwdar as seaport. He said Central Asia and China amounted half of the population of the globe and offered vast potential of economic activity. On CASA-1000 project, he said Pakistan would start receiving 1,000MW electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan via Afghanistan in 2018 to meet its huge energy demands in summers. He said the transparency and pace of work on CASA-1000 project was remarkable and expressed confidence that Afghanistan would ensure safety of the power transmission line passing through its soil.
Nawaz said Pakistan wanted peaceful relations with its neighbours and believed that such development projects could prove helpful in removing any trust deficit between the countries concerned.
Nawaz said three billion population of the region will benefit from China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “The corridor will bring prosperity to the region,” he said. He said Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline will help overcome energy shortage in Pakistan. The prime minister said all the regional countries are trying to establish economic zones. He said CASA-1000 project will provide an opportunity to cement relationships with Central Asian countries. He said Balochistan will make unprecedented progress in next three to four years
The prime minister said he would like to see in improvement of ties between Pakistan and India, the way he thought of in early 90’s when Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Lahore on his invitation.
Earlier, Nawaz Sahrif and leaders from Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan jointly launched CASA-1000 electricity project that would greatly help Pakistan in fulfilling its quest for energy within two years. The leaders termed it as "win-win and mutually rewarding" for all stakeholder states and beneficial for the prosperity of their people. The other leaders are Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Afghanistan's Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister Sooranbai Jeenbekov. All the four performed the formal launch by tightening golden bolts of the grand power transmission tower with golden wrench, installed at the Tursunzade city, some 50 kilometres from the capital.
Under CASA-1000, Pakistan will be able to acquire 1,000MW of electricity, generated by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan via Afghanistan. Afghanistan will also get 300MW of the total 1,300MW. The transmission line originates from Kyrgyzstan with substation at Datka to Tajikistan’s four substations including Sughda, Dushanbe, Regar and Sangtuda and then passes through Afghanistan to Pakistan with a converter station at Nowshera.
The four leaders in their speeches at the event agreed on early materialisation of the project on priority, which they said was an important milestone of regional integration between Central Asia and South Asia.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed satisfaction on entering the implementation phase of the CASA-1000 after several years of its conception and said the project demonstrated landmark cooperation among Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. He termed it an important step towards realisation of the planned Central Asia South Asia Regional Electricity Market (Casarem). He said that the project would be a win-win for all four countries for achieving a number of economic, social and environmental benefits besides reduction of energy deficit, creation of jobs and improvement in trade.
Meanwhile, Nawaz had a brief chat with Dr Abdullah Abdullah Thursday after inaugural ceremony of CASA-1000 project as he renewed invitation for visiting Pakistan. The chief executive called off his visit early last month suddenly. The two leaders had exchange of pleasantries in the course of their interaction.
A newsperson asked Nawaz Sharif about the echelon of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, who was moving on path-way along-with Abdullah Abdullah towards motorcade after the function Nawaz smilingly replied ‘good’ and the questioner asked the same to the Afghan chief executive who had moved ahead three steps, he turned and said ‘yes sir good.’
(THE NEWS-PAKISTAN)
