PM’s quote on corruption taken out of context, PM House clarifies

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister House on Monday clarified the media reports regarding Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's response on a query about investigation into corruption scandals of previous government, saying he was quoted out of context.

According to a PM House statement, during his visit to the New Islamabad International Airport on May 6, a journalist had raised a question regarding the undue delays and phenomenal increases in the cost of development projects initiated during the previous regimes.

The prime minister was asked whether the present government was considering investigation and identification to find those responsible in the previous government so that such practice was not repeated in future.

The PM House said that referring to the corruption scandals of the past regimes, the prime minister had stressed on holding those accountable who were at the helm of affairs in the past and looted public money while claiming to serve the nation.

The prime minister, while endorsing the need to hold the previous regimes accountable said that such probes must obviously reach their logical conclusions.

"History is witness to the fact that PML-N's government has always come into power after the people of Pakistan renewed the credentials of the party's leadership.

This is the result of honouring of commitments made by PML-N's leadership to the people of Pakistan," the statement said.

The prime minister said that the government's commitment to root out corruption was evident from the fact that despite completing mega projects in diverse fields, there was no scam of corruption against the present government.

He said the government had ensured merit and transparency in the execution of all projects, saving billions of rupees for the national exchequer.

The government, however, cannot divert its energies from bringing revolution in the socio-economic spheres and accomplishing the hitherto ignored infrastructure development in the country in a qualitative and transparent manner, he added.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said there was rule of law in the country and all institutions were performing their mandated duties without fear or favour.