Accountability institutions now functioning independently: PM

| Imran Khan says there is no control of government on National Accountability Bureau | Claims legal proceedings initiated against sugar cartel for first time | All those involved would have to face law of the land

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE   -  Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his aim and ideology is to turn Pakistan into a welfare state.

In an interview with a private television channel on Saturday, he said there is nothing wrong to review and revisit the policies to achieve the goal.

Regarding 2018 general elections, the Prime Minister said the statistics prove, including the report of FAFEN, that these were far better and transparent than the ones held in 2013. 

Imran Khan said he is the only leader after PPP leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who waged a long political struggle. Regarding corruption cases against the PML (N) and the PPP leadership, the Prime Minister said these are old cases registered before his coming to the power. He said, “We have only registered a case of money laundering against Shehbaz Sharif.”

“We have made the institutions independent and there is no control of government on the National Accountability Bureau, Imran Khan said. The Prime Minister regretted that the opposition tried to blackmail the government on FATF legislation to get the NRO. He, however, said those who plundered the national exchequer will be held accountable. 

The NAB cases which both leaders of Pakistan Peoples’ Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N were facing now, had been instituted by them against each other during their tenures in government, he maintained. 

The prime minister said the PTI’s government had nothing to do with these cases. The government wanted accountability of all those who had embezzled public money. The investigation and accountability institutions in the country were now functioning independently, he said. 

The prime minister further said when the PTI government came into being, sons of Nawaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Salman Shehbaz etc, had already left the country. 

He said BBC’s two documentaries were based upon the corruption of leadership from both these parties.  

They wanted to get another NRO as they tried to blackmail the government on Financial Action Task Force (FATAF) legislation, he added.  

The prime minister in response to a question regarding investigation into sugar inquiry report maintained that for the first time in the country’s history, legal proceedings were initiated against sugar cartel. 

He said further process was underway as two FIRs were also registered in the case. Now, certain cases were pending before the Competition Commission. 

Expressing his resolve, the prime minister said all those involved would have to face the law of the land.   

“I will not interfere in this process,” he said, adding the institutions and departments investigating the issue had been given full independence. These institutions were made weaker in the past, the prime minister said.  

About Jahangir Tareen’s, the prime minister said that he had worked for the party for long time and they remained very close. Tareen had been passing through difficult time and according to Tareen’s claims, the cases against him were wrongly framed; the prime minister replied in response to a query. 

To another question, he said there were no corruption cases against Firdous Ashiq Awan which had made basis for her removal from the information ministry.  

About appointment of Naeem Bukhari in the board of directors of PTV, the prime minister said that being familiar and well-known personality who had been regularly appearing on PTV since 1970 with immense experience, so he had requested Bukhari to accept the post.  

The prime minister regretted that once PTV dramas as had enjoyed huge popularity even across the borders. The prime minister agreed that opposition should also get coverage on PTV like the BBC, TRT and Al Jazeera which also reflected governments’ points of view.  

About performance of chief minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, he said after completion of his five years term, he would be the only most successful chief minister of the province due to his performance including his development initiatives like healthcare insurance to all residents of the province. 

For the last thirty years in Punjab, the same system had been intact which was politicised, certain changes could be justified, he replied in response to a query regarding different bureaucratic changes made by the chief minister.  “Change does not mean you are at fault, rather striving to achieve for optimal performance, he added. 

Imran Khan also dismissed the notion that he had ever been under pressure from the military leadership on any issue including the foreign policy.

“I was never pressured by military on any matter and they [military leadership] had never opposed my decisions,” said the Prime Minister. 

Commenting on opposition’s allegations that he was brought into power by the security establishment, Prime Minister said: “I was never pressured by military on any matter and they [military leadership] had never opposed my decisions.”

He explained that the past rulers always claimed that they had conflict with the army due to its interference in the foreign policy of the country.