Sharif family put the basis of ‘modern’ corruption in Pakistan, says Chaudhry

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry hold the Sharif family responsible for putting the basis of modern corruption in Pakistan, in a press conference held on Sunday.

The minister said that from 2008 to 2018, the foreign loans shot up to $97 billion from $37 billion during the 10-year tenure of Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

Chaudhry said that the Sharif family launched Economic Reforms Act in 1992 to whiten their suspicious money sent abroad before. “Between 1996 and 1998 authorities spotted suspicious transactions from Hudaibiya paper mills. The mill was owned by Mian Sharif with family members as beneficiary.”

The information minister accused former finance minister for money laundering Sharif family’s funds.

“Ishaq Dar admitted his role before a magistrate in 2000,” he said. “Musharraf wasn’t able to continue the probe and gave NRO to the family,” he said.

The minister said that the former president Asif Ali Zardari was the beneficiary from the fake accounts made to transfer money abroad.

“FIA detected as many as 5,000 fake accounts. At least 32 accounts were managing the entire scam,” he added, “Ayyan Ali, Bilawal Bhutto and his residence’s expense were covered by such accounts. Omni group was included in the scam.”

Prime Minister’s special assistant to accountability, Shahzad Akbar, said that it won’t be a surprise if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s ‘Ayyan Ali’ emerges in coming days. He said that the NAB should better its prosecution as people easily get bail before arrest.

State Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar said that Ishaq Dar is responsible for the economic situation of the country.