-Says Broadsheet exposed ruling elites’ corruption, money-laundering
-Madressah students must not be used by PDM, PM tells Interior Minister
-Claims ‘If head of state is corrupt, it affects entire system,’
-Inaugurates E-Bidding, E-Billing, GIS Mapping system under NHA
-Meets Osama’s father, assures justice
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that having been exposed by Broadsheet after Panama Papers, the country’s elites could not hide behind “victimization” card on international revelations of their corruption and money laundering.
“Panama Papers exposed our ruling elites corruption & money laundering earlier. Now Broadsheet revelations have again exposed the massive scale of our ruling elites corruption & money laundering,” he said in a series of Tweets.
He said the international revelations exposed what he had been saying during his 24-year fight against corruption – also the biggest threat to Pakistan’s progress.
He viewed that those elites came to power and plundered the country. Moreover, they also did money laundering to stash their ill-gotten gains abroad, safe from domestic prosecution.
“They then use their political clout to get NROs. That is how they kept their plundered wealth safe. People of (Pakistan) are biggest losers,” the prime minister remarked.
He said the people were loser because not only their nation’s wealth was stolen by the elites rather their taxpayer money, paid for recovering this wealth, was wasted because of NROs. “These revelations are tip of the iceberg. We want complete transparency from Broadsheet on our elites money laundering & on who stopped investigations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has Wednesday assigned minister of interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad with a task to ensure seminary pupil are refrained from joining any Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) protests.
The federal minister has been directed by the PM to sit with religious scholars and explain to them the government’s priorities.
Reportedly, the Prime Minister has expressed indignation over gaining the political ends using religion as cover and has thus tasked Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, who has been given the portfolio of federal minister for interior, to make sure students of religious seminaries are kept from joining political protests staged by PDM.
The government has thus, reportedly, decided to gain the confidence of religious clergy by sitting with them and expanding on the policies the government has designed.
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Imran Khan formally inaugurated the E-Bidding, E-Billing and GIS Mapping system under National Highway Authority for good governance, maintaining transparency and ensuring accountability in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, he said this step will take the country towards modernity and digitalization.
He said e-bidding will reduce human interaction in awarding contracts of various projects, which will end corruption and bribery in the whole process. The Prime Minister expressed the resolve to digitize Federal Board of Revenue by July this year.
He said we can ensure more tax collection by introducing automation and digitization in the FBR.
Imran Khan said we can spend more on human development if we have excessive funds in the form of increased tax collection.
He said other ministries will also be encouraged to move towards e-governance so that utmost transparency can be ensured.
During the day Mr Khan met with Nadeem Younis Satti, the father of Osama Satti who was shot dead by policemen in the federal capital. Commiserating with the bereaved family, the premier prayed for the departed soul. He regretted the despicable incident and assured the father of Osama of complete justice
Earlier in the day, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) extended physical remand of the five arrested policemen in the Osama Satti murder case. The five accused were presented before the court as Judge Raja Jawad Abbas resumed hearing. The investigation officer requested the judge to extend physical remand of the accused by five days.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said the revenue of the ministry has increased by hundred percent while over twenty billion rupees recovered through a process of accountability in the department.
While mentioning different road infrastructure projects, he said over 6,000 kilometers long new roads are being constructed in different parts of the country.
