Imran demands NAB file Hudaibiya Mills appeal in court

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday demanded that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) file an appeal in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case under the apex court's verdict. 

"We demand that NAB file the appeal in high court as demanded by the Supreme Court," said the PTI chairman while addressing a press conference. 

Referring to former prime minister's Nawaz Sharif's plans to reach Lahore via GT Road, Imran said that the plan is a means to pressurise NAB by showing the accountability bureau that the masses are with PML-N.

"He [Nawaz] will travel to Lahore on government expenditure and will have full protocol, and then he will tell people how he was treated unjustly," said Imran. 

The PTI chairman reiterated that Nawaz Sharif had been presented with a chance to "come clean during the JIT proceedings".

 "What example is Nawaz setting for the people when he does not accept the Supreme Court's verdict. The jails of Pakistan are full of poor people, yet the rich and powerful refuse to bow down before law."

The PTI chairman also criticised Nawaz for "weakening state institutions".

"There are two institutions left intact, the Army and the judiciary. Now they are point fingers at those two [institutions]," further said Imran. 

The PTI chairman on the occasion again asked Nawaz to disclose who all are conspiring against him and added that the former prime minister was "destroying the Constitution and the law".

"I demand that you tell us who is giving you signals to weaken the judiciary and the Army," asked the PTI chairman. 

He also said the PML-N had to dissassociate itself from the Sharif family after the Panama Papers case verdict and said it was a mistake that the party chose not to. 

"The PML-N will sink with the Sharif family," said Imran. 

Referring to allegations levelled against him by MNA Ayesha Gulalai, Imran said he would like the allegations to be probed.

He added that Gulalai would have to provide evidence as "one who accuses needs to provide evidence".

Regarding the committee formed to probe Gulalai's accusations, Imran said the committee has members who are against him.

Nawaz Sharif was disqualified under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution.

Announcing its verdict, the five-member bench unanimously disqualified Nawaz for failing to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nominations papers for the 2013 General Election, stating that this meant he was not ‘honest’ and ‘truthful’, as per the Constitution.

In the verdict, all five judges ruled to send references against Nawaz Sharif, his children Maryam, Hussain and Hasan, son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar and Ishaq Dar to an accountability court.

The court also ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a reference against the accused in an accountability court in six weeks and directed for the trial to be wrapped up within six months.