Nawaz Sharif Says Party Doesn't Seek Power, Rather Demands Accountability

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Friday said his party does not wish to win elections and form a government. However, his party demands accountability, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

At a PML-N parliamentary board meeting in Lahore, Nawaz Sharif said, "The nation should know that those who used to cry 'thief' are thieves themselves, the biggest thieves. [...] This is our demand."

He said, "Our demand is not to form governments after winning elections and then roam about in big cars." Nawaz Sharif stressed that the PML-N was determined to serve the country. However, it also wanted the truth to be brought in front of the public.

PML-N supremo called for accountability and said, Who ruined the country? Who brought the country to this point today? Why are the poor starving today? [...] All these things are eating up the country, according to Dawn report.

He stated, "We are not sitting here to get into government; we want the well-being of the country and the 250 million people living here."

In an apparent reference to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif emphasised that Pakistan is going through a tough time, Dawn reported.

He said, "Pakistan is going through a tough time today and we have created these difficulties ourselves. We punished the people who wanted to serve the country and brought forth those who were playing an evil game."

Without taking any names, Nawaz Sharif said a person was brought to power who knew nothing about politics, the economy or foreign policy. PML-N supremo said, "He only talked about 'Riyasat-i-Madina' but didn't know anything about 'Riyasat-i-Madina' in the true sense."

Nawaz Sharif called the £190 million case the "biggest corruption scandal in the history of Pakistan" and added that there was "no doubt about it," Dawn reported.

The case alleges that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 50 billion that was identified and returned to Pakistan by the UK during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Sharif said, "This biggest evidence is that they waved a sealed envelope [in a cabinet meeting] and asked for signatures on it. At least show us what is inside the envelope [...] but they took approval by putting on blindfolds."

He said that Pakistan's Supreme Court had recently ordered that an amount of PKR 35 billion that was remitted to the bank accounts of the apex court maintained in the name of the Supreme Court registrar in the Bahria Town settlement be transferred to the federal government.

PML-N supremo called it "huge theft and corruption." He said, "On the other hand, we were sent to jail for not taking salaries from my son," according to Dawn report.

Speaking about the cases against him, Nawaz Sharif said he got justice after seven years and even today he was visiting courts. He noted that there is a court certificate that mentions that these cases are bogus.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)