ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday categorically said that he would not meet Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, because it would amount to compromising over Sharif family’s crimes. During the fifth session of live “Aap Ka Wazir Azam Aap Key Sath’ programme, the prime minister said that he would not give Sharif’s family any NRO because doing so would be huge treason with the country. The prime minister said that he did not consider (Shabaz Sharif) as an opposition leader rather he treated him as man who had committed serious crimes against the nation and country. Responding to a query, the prime minister said an opposition leader had a stature but in the instant case, Shahbaz Sharif was delivering lengthy speeches in the parliament without caring to give reply to a number of graft and corruption cases pending with the courts. He did not want to respond to Ramzan sugar mills case, transferring of Rs3.7 billion in the account of a peon Maqsood and Rs16 billion in the accounts of other servants. They were accounted for Rs8 billion cases pending with NAB, he added. The prime minister said that Sharif family should take some pity on this country. Expressing his wonder, he said by using delaying tactics in the courts, what kind of service they were rendering to the democracy and setting example for a civilized society! “If I meet him, it will amount to acceptance of their wrongdoings (corruption) as no longer a punishable crime in a civilized society,” he stressed. The prime minister said that he wanted the nation to imbibe the basic principles taught by the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) regarding rule of law and equal treatment of all segments of society. He stressed that as followers of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the nation should follow those principles. He regretted that different trends had been set in the society for the powerful and the weak. The ordinary criminals had been languishing in the jails and the powerful elite was residing outside the country. Those criminals had been showered with flower petals. If such were the standards in society, then set the jails open for the ordinary criminals, he said, adding that he was ready to talk to everyone including TLP and Balochs, but would not talk to such elements who had siphoned off the country’s wealth, the prime minister elaborated. He said according to the World Bank rule of law index, Switzerland topped the list with 100 percent score. In Singapore, a minister committed suicide due to his corruption and in the US a powerful family also followed the same course to avoid public shame. “Unless we follow the path of our Holy Prophet (PBUH), we cannot aspire to get prosperity,” he said, adding (Imran Khan) had no magic wand to set the wrong things right.
