LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif clarified on Wednesday that Sharif family had paid Rs 5.228 billion in December 2014 under the head of all loans, markup, cost of fund and other charges payable by Ittefaq Foundery and a consortium of banks also issued clearance certificate in this regard.
Addressing a news conference regarding news published in newspapers about the loans of Ittefaq Group here, he said: "Sharif family has not usurped the loans rather paid every penny of banks upon which we are proud". There is no such example of a big settlement in the banking history of Pakistan where besides capital, markup of 17 years, cost of fund and other charges were paid, he added.
The Chief Minister said that news published in newspapers regarding reference sent by NAB (National Accountability Bureau) to the Supreme Court about the loans of Ittefaq Group, are lamentable, adding that he had repeatedly informed the nation in this regard.
Shahbaz Sharif said that on the other hand during the Musharraf tenure loans of trillions of rupees were waived off through a government communique in October 2002 which was a serious crime. He said that under SRO 29 Musharraf got waived off loans of his favorites who had to contest election. He said, 'Ameer and Tareen' people were included in those people who got waived off loans on political basis and had committed cruelty on the nation and the country by looting hard earned money of the masses.
The Chief Minister said that on January 2, 1972, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the then prime minister nationalized Ittefaq Foundaries without paying any compensation but our elders set up six more factories in this city through hard work within 18 months. He said that on July 16, 1979, ruined Ittefaq Foundaries were again handed over to our family and they ran it by working round the clock.
Shahbaz Sharif said that during the era of Benazir Bhutto government again vindictive action started against Ittefaq Foundaries and closed them. He said that the Jonathan ship remained standing at Karachi port with goods for one year.
He said that on May 28, 1998, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif made Pakistan a nuclear power through conducting atomic blasts and he announced in his speech that Ittefaq Foundaries had been ruined through vindictive actions, however, Sharif Family would repay every penny. He said that in the beginning of 1999 or at the end of 1998, all assets of Ittefaq Foundaries were handed over to the banks.
The Chief Minister said that Musharraf through a vindictive action got prepared a reference against Ittefaq Foundaries which remained in the court and had there been any reality in it, it would have been decided but Musharraf filed the case of hijacking against us and forcibly sent us to exile.
Shahbaz Sharif said that he can proudly say that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif fulfilled the promise made with the nation. He said that all loans against Ittefaq Foundaries were paid and not a single penny of loans was got waived off. He said that the total amount came to five billion 22 crore and 80 lakh rupees and all matters were settled transparently which was a matter of pride for our family.
The Chief Minister said that there was no example of such a big settlement in a transparent manner in the history of the country. He said: "We paid every penny and banks issued us clearance certificate".
He said that in view of these facts, the news published in the newspapers were baseless. He appealed to the media to bring the facts before the people.
Shahbaz Sharif said that he had already said that it was baseless reference which was dismissed by the Lahore High Court in its decision. He said: "We can claim humbly that throughout our political and business life we never got waived off single penny of any public or private bank and whether such claims can be made by those other politicians who criticize PML-N and its leadership".
He said that unfortunately loans were waived off in the history of Pakistan and there was a big list of those taking concession in payments but thanks Allah Almighty there was no name of Sharif family in it.
The Chief Minister made it clear that when any settlement of loans is made with the banks, the loanee party demands concession and it is requested that markup should be waived off or exempted from the cost of fund.
He said that it was our right to make such request but we did not use this right but neither even thought of it. He said that Sharif family did not get waived off a single rupee from banks nor got concession and they have issued certificates.
He said that on December 23, 2014 the Lahore High Court had said in its decision that the committee constituted by the court had confirmed that Ittefaq Group had paid all outstanding amounts to banks. He said that a divisional bench of the Lahore High Court in Hudabiya Paper Mill reference had dismissed a year ago by declaring it as illegal.
He said that the High Court had made it clear in its decision that this reference was based on malafide intentions and had been filed for political objectives without any proof. "Thanks Allah Almighty we have paid all loans," he added.
The Chief Minister said that such people were living in Pakistan who had bunglows, cars and bank balances but they had got waived off loans of trillions of rupees on political grounds. The money of the nation should be retrieved from those who got waived off loans on political grounds, he added.
Replying to a question, Shahbaz Sharif said that during Musharraf era, rulers of Punjab committed dacoity on the reserves of Pakistan and Punjab in Chiniot and the contract of exploring reserve of iron ore was given to a fake company. High Court ordered the NAB to take action against it but NAB wrote that the work had not been started, therefore, action cannot be taken which was serious joke with the nation.
He said that NAB should have taken notice of the wealth of the poor nation which was looted but we cancelled this agreement.
To a question with regard to Accountability Commission, Shahbaz Sharif said that if there would not be judicious and ruthless accountability, the country would be run like this. Replying to a question, he said that soft revolution was essential for stopping the way of bloody revolution. He said that if there was not soft revolution, no one can stop bloody revolution.
Replying to a question about Raiwind Road, Shahbaz Sharif said that thousand of kilometer roads were constructed in Punjab out of which every road led to the house of Minister or politician, general, judge or any senior government official.
He said that an inquiry of this road was conducted during Musharraf era but no one dared to send a reference to the court as this road did not lead to inside the farm but on both side of this road, there were localities, welfare institutions, medical college, law college, technical college, hospital and school in which thousands of male and female students were studying.
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