Sharifs did not gobble up any loan: Shahbaz
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif claimed on Wednesday that the Sharif family had neither gobbled up any loan nor got any bank loan waived an they had paid every penny outstanding against them to the banks.
He said that inclusion of his name and that of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the 35-page report on the 150 mega scams was unfortunate and erroneous.Briefing the press on Wednesday at 180-H Model Town ahead of a recent National Accountability Bureau (NAB) report submitted to the Supreme Court, he said the Sharif family had an impeccable financial history with no evidence of loan default, adding they had never used political influence and asked any bank to waive their loans.
Instead, the Punjab chief minister blamed former president Pervez Musharraf for instituting the Ittefaq Foundry case against him and his brother, labeling it political victimisation, and added that they were forced to live in exile as a result. Shahbaz said the brothers assets were always in the banks, adding that they returned all the money that they had borrowed. It was Musharraf who wrote to the banks to waive loans for his blue-eyed people, Shahbaz said.
He claimed the Sharif family paid Rs 5,228,000,000 in December 2014 under the head of all loans, mark-up, cost of fund and other charges payable by the Ittefaq Foundry, and a consortium of banks had also issued a clearance certificate in this regard.
He said there was no example of such a big settlement in the banking history of Pakistan where besides the capital, mark-up of 17 years, cost of fund and other charges were paid. He said the Sharif family had not usurped loans, rather paid each penny of the banks of which they were proud.
He said the news items published in the newspapers on the reference sent by NAB to the Supreme Court about the loans of Ittefaq Group, were lamentable. Shahbaz said he during Musharraf tenure, the loans of trillions of rupees of the poor nation were waived through a government communiqu in October 2002 which was a serious crime. He said under SRO 29, Musharraf got waived the loans of his favourites who had to contest elections. He said, Ameer and Tareen are among those who got waived the loans on political basis.
The chief minister said on January 2, 1972, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then prime minister nationalised Ittefaq Foundries without paying any compensation but his elders set up six more factories in this city through hard work within 18 months. He said on July 16, 1979, ruined Ittefaq Foundries were again handed over to his family and they ran it by working round the clock.
Shahbaz said during Benazir era vindictive action started and Ittefaq Foundries were closed. He said the Jonathan ship remained standing at Karachi port with goods for one year. He said on May 28, 1998, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made Pakistan a nuclear power and he announced in his speech that Ittefaq Foundries had been ruined through vindictive actions, however, the Sharifs would repay each penny to the banks. He said in the beginning of 1999 or at the end of 1998, all assets of Ittefaq Foundries were handed over to the banks.
Punjab chief minister said Pervez Musharraf through a vindictive action got prepared a reference against Ittefaq Foundries which remained in the court and had there been any reality in it, it would have been decided but Musharraf filed case of hijacking against them and forcibly sent them into exile.
Shahbaz said he could proudly say that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif fulfilled the promise made with the nation. He said all the loans of Ittefaq Foundries were paid and not a single penny of loans was got waived. He said that unfortunately loans were waived in the history of Pakistan and there was a big list of those taking concession in payments but thanks God there was no name of Sharif family in it.
The chief minister made it clear when any settlement of loans was made with the banks, the borrower party demanded concession and it was requested that markup should be waived or exempted from the cost of fund. He said, It was our right to make such request but we did not use this as a right. He said Sharif family did not get waived a single rupee from banks nor got concession and the banks had issued certificates. He said the Lahore High Court on December 23, 2014 said in its decision that the committee constituted by the court had confirmed that Ittefaq Group had paid all outstanding amounts to the banks. He said a divisional bench of Lahore High Court in Hudabiya Paper Mills reference has dismissed it a year ago by declaring it as illegal. He said LHC had made it clear in its decision that this reference was based on mala fide intentions and had been filed for political objectives without any proof.
The chief minister said such people were living in Pakistan who had bungalows, cars and bank balances but they had got waived loans of trillions of rupees on political grounds. The money of the nation should be retrieved from those who got waived loans on political grounds, he added.
Replying to a question, Shahbaz said during Musharraf era, rulers of Punjab committed dacoity on the reserves of Pakistan and the Punjab in Chiniot and the contract of exploring reserve of iron ore was given to a fake company. The LHC ordered NAB to take action against it but NAB wrote that the work had not been started, therefore, action could not be taken which was a serious joke with the nation. He said NAB should have taken notice of the wealth of the poor nation which was looted but they cancelled this agreement.
About Accountability Commission, Shahbaz said soft revolution was essential for stopping the way of bloody revolution. About Raiwind Road, Shahbaz said thousands of kilometer roads were constructed in Punjab and all roads led to the house of ministers or politicians, generals, judges or any senior government officials. He said an inquiry of this road was conducted during Musharraf era but no one dared to send a reference to the court as this road does not lead to the farm but on both the side of this road as there were localities, welfare institutions, medical college, law college, technical college, hospital and school in which thousands of male and female students are studying.
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