Nawaz blackmailing Pakistan to get relief from corruption cases: Shibli

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz has asserted that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo was trying to blackmail Pakistan and its institutions to get relief from corruption cases against him.

The former Prime Minister had addressed several opposition meetings, under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement, via-video link from London and slammed the government for its current policies.

“Nawaz was elected thrice by this country and now he is against it just because you want relief from your cases? Nawaz wants to blackmail Pakistan and its institutions. This will never happen,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad today (Sunday).

The information minister further said that Nawaz Sharif was a product who came through the support of the establishment. “Our government has a good relationship with the army because it is full of honest people,” he added.

Shibli Faraz said that Nawaz was now criticising the chairperson of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), who was appointed by Nawaz himself. “Now you have become a revolutionary, [acting] like you are statesman,” he added.

“Nawaz is accused of theft. You were not sent to jail because of any political dispute, it was because of the crimes you committed,” the minister remarked.

The federal minister said that the PML-N was only misleading the masses and pursuing a narrative that had nothing to do with reality. “They have done nothing for the country, except pursuing anti-people policies,” he added.

He also said the PML-N had deliberately ruined the country’s economy to create hurdles in the way of the next government. “The PML-N government had wasted $23 billion to artificially control the dollar’s value,” he claimed.

Shibli asserted that the country’s exports and remittances are on an upward trajectory and foreign exchange reserves were now in a comfortable zone.