In a recent move, the Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has demanded of the federal government to immediately reopen what he termed "fake" corruption cases instituted against the Sharifs during Musharraf tenure. Earlier addressing to students in GC University, Shahbaz said that it is difficult but not impossible. Believe me, by God, a lot of water has flown under the bridge. We have faced a lot of miseries.
We have faced a lot of destructive phases; we have lost our credibility in our politicians, in our rulers corruption is rampant, law and order is in a bad shape, terrorism is shaking the foundation of this country, the education is only available to high and mighty and the rich. Health services are only available to the richest class.
Talking about the innocence of politicians, he added that mind it dear fellows to be very fair and honest in the balance sheet of national destruction, the liabilities of politicians are far less than our military dictators. Politicians did not dismember Pakistan, but a dictator did it. He was not a politician but a dictator who interfered in the industrial progress in this country and exposed both Pakistan and India to a nuclear war.
I am pointing towards Kargil. Politicians did not hand over Siachen to the enemy but a dictator. Yet, politicians also have a lot of skeletons in their cupboard. I must say very frankly today, I would be less sincere to myself, to all of you if I try to cover up things. It is time not for questioning, rather it is the time to answer honestly and it is time to be straightforward.
Shahbaz Sharif is known as a very enthusiast person and few circles term him revolutionary as well, he rightly said that it is the time to answer honestly and offer voluntarily for accountability. However, I disagree with his specific views on corruption that it is rampant after demand that its time to answer honestly and later on demand of reopening of fake corruption cases instituted against them in Musharraf regime. As per their stance, all cases registered against his family are politically biased and denied to accept their sanctity.
We agree with Shahbaz Sharif and will not question the veracity of the Auditor General of Pakistan report released in 1988 regarding misuse of authority by Nawaz Sharif, resulting into direct malpractice of Rs 35 billion, illegal allotment of 3,000 LDA plots among his favourites, which caused loss of billions of rupees, obtaining Rs 3 billion loan from banks through his influence against inadequate guarantees, drawing up of foreign aid of 4.2 billion dollars and we will not even ask for the facts and figures highlighted in State Bank of Pakistan's report which was presented in National Assembly in 1996 wherein it was stated that the prime minister's family stood as the nation's highest defaulters covering more than Rs 5 billion to the Pakistani banks and Nawaz Sharif after taking oath for his 2nd term as Prime Minister pronounced that he would pay back all loans outstanding against the Ittefaq Group of Companies. We even don't discuss here about list of top loan defaulters published by Benazir government on 06.09.1996 and Mairaj Khalid in January 1997. We all know that, answer of all these allegations is political victimisation of Sharif family.
But what about confessional family statement and close crony Ishaq Dar, revealing that on instructions of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, foreign currency accounts were opened with different names in the Bank of America with the foreign currency funds provided by the Sharif family. He further confessed that all instructions regarding opening of accounts were issued to the bank in the name of two persons and were signed by him under the orders of original depositors namely Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. He further disclosed that the Bank of America, Al Towfeeq Investment Bank, Citibank, Atlas Investment Bank, Al Barka Bank were used under the instructions of the Sharif family, and who will answer about the Ishaq Dar's statement wherein he implicated himself by confessing before magistrate that he, with collaboration of his friends Kamal Qureshi and Naeem Mehmood opened fake foreign currency accounts in international bank and admitted deposit of foreign currency in foreign banks. If the answer of these confessional statements is that these were recorded under the threat of military dictator, then nation have right to question about the implementation of protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992.
Apparently the said enactment was implemented to create a liberal environment for saving and investment for economic stability of the country but careful reading of section 4 and 5 appears to be in line with confessional statements of Ishaq Dar, it shows the real intention of government, that why the said was promulgated? It transpires that the only intent of promulgation of this Act was to give legal cover to black money of Sharif family which they have kept in different banks by opening foreign currency accounts and the source of which was not declared.
Moreover, Sharif family in 1990s paid very nominal amount of tax and when the income tax authorities detected massive tax evasion by Sharif family, they were suspended, ironically on the grounds of being corrupt.
This fact further get force that how Nawaz Sharif was keen to secure and legalise his family's foreign currency? On 17 February 1997, he took oath as Prime Minster for his second term, but on 24 February 1997 a circular issued by CBR (now FBR) giving immunity to foreign currency accounts wherein it was stated that "all citizens of Pakistan resident in Pakistan or outside Pakistan who hold foreign currency in Pakistan and all other persons who hold such accounts, shall continue to enjoy immunity against any inquiry from the Income Tax Department or any other taxation authority or law-enforcing agency as to the source of financing of the foreign currency accounts and in clause three of the said circular, it was made clear that the taxation authorities cannot initiate assessment proceedings against the persons who hold foreign currency accounts with authorised banks in Pakistan under various section of the Income Tax Ordinance, 1979.
Moreover, how fruitful was this enactment for creation of liberal environment for saving and investment, can be realised by the facts narrated in various High Court judgements pronounced in writs filed by Sharifs, wherein the Commissioner of Income Tax gathered information regarding benami accounts in Habib Bank AG Zurich Branch Lahore in a dubious manner to whiten the black money by taking advantage of Dollar Bearer Certificates and certain traveller cheques. It was also highlighted in the facts presented by tax authorities before court that in collaboration with the officials of the banks under the influence exerted by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had dishonestly and fraudulently managed to open foreign currency accounts which were fake and benami in the name of certain individuals and later on were used to obtain loans. But court rejected the argument presented by the tax authorities that immunity granted under section 5 of the Act is limited in nature and section 9 of the Act provides for secrecy of only bona fide other banking transactions and foreign currency accounts enjoy full immunity under the Protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992. High Court rejected the decision of single member bench, which provided full opportunity to Sharif family for creation of liberal environment for protection of their black money. Later on, Benazir Bhutto on May 30 1997, in a speech at a seminar in Lahore demanded the retrial of Nawaz Sharif.
Shahbaz Sharif, we respect your motto, we respect your pain for the nation, we like your enthusiasm for changing the life of nation, we are with you when you demand for formation of commission for 2nd May 2011 incident, we are with you when you talk about formation of commission for 22nd May incident, we are with you when you talk about the accountability of military dictators, we are with you when you talk about the approval of military budget from parliament, we are with you when you talk about formation of Kargil Commission, We even admit without going into details when you say that politicians are less responsible for wrong done with the country, we support your demand for implementation of Supreme Court decision regarding NRO, we support you as Chief Minister Punjab when you reject foreign aid, but again question arises how nation can trust on persons who are already facing allegations of corruption. When you were in power, Protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992 was the source of getting clean chit from all financial allegations for you and when you start questioning other corrupt politicians, military and government officials, how nation stands with you when you have no moral ground to save yourself.
Let's strive to eradicate corruption as if it has never been rampant, offer yourself and your family first and demand from Federal Government to form commission comprising honest members under the supervision of Supreme Court CJ who will examine and investigate the affairs of all corrupt politicians, military dictators, government officials beyond any legal cover whether it was in form of any Act or Ordinance which were issued for the protection of black money or otherwise and submit their report in three months to Parliament and by ensuring that, Parliament accept and implements the same in letter and spirit, and if we all let it happen, we will see different Pakistan in 2012.
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