Daily Mail's apology proves our innocence, says Nawaz Sharif

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in an interview Saturday said that the Daily Mail apology is proof of their innocence and that PTI Chairman Imran Khan and senior party leader Shahzad Akbar should hang their heads in shame now. 

The PML-N founder, who is in London since 2019, added that the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has already given a 'clean chit' to Shehbaz Sharif after due diligence. 

Nawaz added that the UK was not ruled by PML-N, PTI or any other Pakistani political party and it was a democratic state with a free and fair judicial system. "There cannot be a bigger proof of innocence than the court of such a country giving someone a clean chit," Nawaz said.

The former PM added that Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar should hang their heads in shame after Daily Mail's apology. These people have disgraced the country overseas, he added.

He added that the statements by former judges Shoukat Siddiqui and Arshad Malik, former CJP Saqib Nisar's audio leak, and the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) overturning of the verdict against Maryam Nawaz were proofs of their innocence.

On the other hand, he added, corruption allegations against Imran Khan stood proven. "Everyone knows about the Toshakhana scandal," he added.

"A certified corrupt person is hurling corruption allegations at people who had been proven innocent in national and international courts," Nawaz regretted.

The PML-N leader said he was forced to exile after a fake hijacking case was filed against him in the 90s, and the elected PM of 220 million people was disqualified for not taking payment of 10,000 riyals from his son.

Nawaz said until 2017, the country was progressing, and inflation was under control. "The PML-N government boosted the country's economy and ended load-shedding in just three years," he added.

He added that it was them who made Pakistan an atomic power. 

The PML-N supremo asked the PTI chief to name one project that he conceived and completed. "PTI only made a 'faulty' metro in KPK, which is under NAB investigation."

He added that people will be shocked if details about the Al-Qadir Trust and the billion tree are revealed.

Daily Mail's apology

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif scored a huge defamation victory against Associated Newspapers (publishers of Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) over an article published by reporter David Rose.

The court records show that the newspaper took nine extensions to file a defence in support of its story which was published on the basis that the paper and the reporter have all the evidence already in their possession.

Daily Mail publishers and PM Shehbaz's lawyers signed an agreement of settlement with Tomlin Order in the second week of December 2022 after which Daily Mail removed the defamatory article and apologised to the prime minister and his son-in-law.

The ANL has promised it will never repeat these false allegations at any forum and has already worked with Google to remove all articles carrying Daily Mail’s article.