LAHORE: Beseeching the “security institutions” to arrest Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri alleges both brothers are involved in conspiracy against Pakistan and the choice before the nation is clear: “either Pakistan or the Sharif brothers.”

At a press conference here on Friday, he said “both brothers have not rebutted my Sept 3 claim of having over 300 Indian workers in their mills.” In an attempt to build his case further, he released 50 of the 300 names, along with their passport numbers.

“All these people were exempted from security checks, police reporting, Customs’ clearance and were transported in official protocol vehicles,” he claimed. They include engineers, IT specialists, technicians and even welders; all these categories were banned between both Pakistan and India, he said.

“Can’t the Sharif brothers find this category of workers in Pakistan? If they have to be imported from India, why so much of protocol and security exemptions for them? How come that so many of these Indians were on Pakistani soil, enjoying access to the entire country and roaming around official protocol vehicles.”

Qadri also presented a letter of the sugar mills, asking the high commissioner to India for arranging visas for these personnel.

“Since no proper investigation can be held with both these brothers in power, they must be arrested to clear way for the investigation. If my allegations are proven wrong, I would owe an apology to the nation,” he offered.

He also mentioned minutes of the meeting of the Apex Committee in November 2015, in which the corps commander Lahore had cast doubts about the police’s ability to carry out operation against the terrorists in the province. The operation was delayed because the Sharifs were involved in anti-state activities, he added.

At the end of the press conference, Qadri quoted the World Bank figures which indicate increase of Pakistani money transfer to India. “When the Sharif brothers took over in 2013, only Rs100 million were going from Pakistan to India. This money jumped to an unbelievable Rs470 billion within a year – in 2014. Next year, the amount jumped to Rs490 billion. “All these questions need to be investigated by the security agencies,” he demanded.

The Sharif family, according to private television channels, has decided to take the PAT chief to court for his allegations. “No Indian works in the mills of the Sharif family,” a spokesman claimed.

Published in Dawn September 10th, 2016