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ment. The uprising could not have been
manipulated like the “Azadi March” of
Maulana Fazlur Rahman.
The exact details of the alleged
financial irregularities are yet to be
ascertained, but the perception of
Khan’s honesty is being diluted. The
politics depends upon the impression
people have about a ruler, especially
about a celebrity. It is known that Khan
is fairly rich. The initial estimates dis-
close that his financial net worth is
approximately one million dollar. It
does not include the properties he
shares with his children from his wives
in England and USA. On the other hand,
Nawaz Sharif and his family have finan- • Rally point Firebrand cleric Maulana
cial assets to the tune of four billion. His Fazlur Rehman at a rally in Pakistan
father, Mian Sharif, had set up number
steel units under the banner of Ittefaq
group of companies. Imran Khan had said claimed Shaif’s family comprising his
brother, Shehbaz Sharif (then Pun-
e and his family are accused of si- if he is ever voted jab chief minister) daughter, Maryam
phoning of the country’s wealth to power nor he and Nawaz and others were authorize to
H to further their financial inter- run several companies such as Nescoll
ests. This allegation has been denied, but neither his party would Limited, Nielson Holdings Limited,
Pakistan’s National Bureau of Account- send Nawaz Sharif, his Coomber Group Inc., and Hangon
ability (NAB), an organization set up Property Holdings Limited. These com-
to nab high and mighty in the country family and members of panies acquired luxury properties in
indulging in large scale financial bun- London from 2006 to 2007. The real
gling. The Supreme Court of Pakistan his party, PML (Noon) estate was collateral for huge loans to
in a unanimous decision on July 22, to send for indulging in the tune of $13.8 million.
2017 disqualified Nawaz Sharif to hold On the basis of these leaks, Imran
the office of prime minister. The court rampant corruption Khan and his political outfit, PTI and
also ordered NAB to file a reference his colleague Sheikh Rasheed had filed
against Sharif , his family and Ishaq Dar, Investment case due to dearth of evi- petitions in the Supreme Court. The
a former finance minister of the Sharif’s dence. He was, however, sentenced to apex court orderd setting up of a joint
cabinet for indulging in corruption. seven years imprisonment and fined investigation team (JIT) to probe the
The prosecution of Sharif began on 5 billion in the Al-Azizia Steel Mill case. allegations, especially in context of
three cases Avenfield flats in London, During various court proceedings, money laundering, which had finally
Flagship Investment offshore com- Sharif sought permanent bail on the led to the unseating of Sharif, removal
pany, and the former Al-Azizia Steel pretext of his illness and had sought of a sitting prime minister of Pakistan
Mill. The NAB court convicted Nawaz permission to go abroad. The Supreme by a judicial order.
Sharif and his son-in-law Captain Court rejected his pleas. Meanwhile, his With his arrival in London, Nawaz
(retired) Safar. Sharif was given to 10 appeal in the case of in the Al-Azizia Sharif and his family, are now in a posi-
years imprisonment and Safdar had to Steel Mill is pending and became criti- tion to justify their honesty and integ-
undergo seven years and one year cally ill. rity and claim that Khan’s government
jail-term. had deliberately implicated them in
The court order given on July 6, 2018 Panama leaks and Sharif’s trials the corruption cases, which could not
was challenged before the Islama- A few documents exposed by a group be substantiated. It is not important
bad High Court, The court ‘s verdict of investigative journalists had claimed whether Sharif survives or loses. He has
was that the NAB has failed to prove a that the then Pakistani Prime Min- ensured that his brother and daughter
financial link between the former ister, Sharif, had links with eight off- will reassert power in Pakistan in quest
prime minister and the apartments shore companies. The information of its identity and survival.
in question”. The NAB court acquitted was sourced from a Panama-based
Sharif on December 24 in the Flagship law firm, Mossack Fonseca. It was also LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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