ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: With one week left to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) planned lockdown of Islamabad over the Panamagate scandal, the party chairman and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif opened a new front on Wednesday, taking their differences further away from any settlement.

Though the first salvo fired, not surprisingly, by Mr Khan at a news conference at his Bani Gala residence would have passed off as just another set of graft accusations he hurls at the Sharif family on a daily basis, it was Shahbaz Sharif’s reaction that caused everyone to conclude that something unusual had occurred.

Mr Khan disclosed that a Canadian national by the name of Javed Sadiq had been allegedly acting as the frontman of the provincial chief executive and that he had already received Rs11 billion in commission in four mega projects.

He alleged that the amount which would be actually paid to Mr Sadiq totalled Rs26.5bn. The projects in question, according to Mr Khan, are New Islamabad Interna­tional Airport, Software Park in Lahore, Quaid-i-Azam Solar Project in Bahawalpur and Multan-Sukkur Motorway.

Punjab CM to file Rs26.5bn damages suit against PTI chief

Mr Khan said he believed that Mr Sadiq would only get something between Rs50 million and Rs100m for playing the frontman as a major chunk of this amount (Rs26.5bn) would go into the chief minister’s pockets.

Undeterred, Shahbaz Sharif launched a counteroffensive.

“I’ve asked my lawyers to file a Rs26.54bn damages suit against Khan Sahib and humbly request the judiciary to hear the case on a daily basis,” he announced at a press conference in Lahore. The CM promised that should he win the case and get the money it would be spent on public welfare.

Imran Khan claimed he would come out with more such disclosures before his Nov 2 lockdown began.

The PTI’s media cell, meanwhile, released pictures of a person it identified as Javed Sadiq with Shahbaz Sharif during signing of agreements with China and in official meetings and gatherings.

The Punjab chief minister told reporters that he had been meeting Javed Sadiq like he met representatives of other Chinese, European and Middle Eastern companies to persuade them to make investment in the province.

No retreat

Imran Khan declared that he would go ahead with his lockdown plan even if courts barred him from doing so.

“Either Nawaz Sharif should present himself for accountability in line with the terms of reference unanimously signed by all the opposition parties or submit resignation. I will remain there [at the sit-in] until these two demands are met,” he replied when asked whether the PTI would end its sit-in if directed by the courts.

“I will not retreat, even if they put me in jail or warn me that there might be a suicide attack [on the protest gathering] or do whatever they want,” the PTI chief declared.

The press conference was called to present “evidence” of corruption allegedly committed by Shahbaz Sharif through kickbacks and commission in the four projects.

Using cricket parlance, the former skipper said he would be playing a match on Nov 2 against the “Corruption XI whose captain is Nawaz Sharif”.

Mr Khan claimed that Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who visited Pakistan recently, had endorsed his viewpoint that no-one would come to the country to make investment and there would be no prosperity if corruption was not eliminated. “The IMF head said what I have been stating for 20 years,” he said.

Ms Lagarde had stated on Tuesday that corruption, whether real or perceived, was harmful to the economy because it hampered foreign direct investment and was a burden on the ambitions of the youth.

Calling Nawaz Sharif Hosni Mubarak [former president of Egypt] of Pakistan, Imran Khan said a country headed by a “corrupt prime minister” could not make any progress.

CM throws down the gauntlet

During the press conference, Shahbaz Sharif mentioned mega projects like the Bahawalpur Solar Power Park, Safe City, Lahore Ring Road, etc., which were not awarded to Javed Sadiq’s company despite the fact it was among the bidders. Arfa Tower and the Islamabad Airport contracts had been given to Mr Sadiq by previous governments.

The chief minister challenged his detractors to come up with evidence about the kickback allegation, promising that if the wrongdoing was proved he along with his family would give up politics.

PTI Punjab president Aleem Khan accepted the challenge. In a statement, he announced filing a Rs30bn counter-damages suit against Shahbaz Sharif for defaming him [Aleem Khan] at the press conference.

Shahbaz Sharif alleged that the PTI’s lockdown was in fact a plan against China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and development and prosperity of the country.

He said that PTI leader Jehangir Tareen got written off bank loans worth billions of rupees while Aleem Khan had grabbed lands of the poor.

Khurshid raps Imran

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah rejected Imran Khan’s allegations against him as a “figment of his own imagination”.

Talking to reporters in Hyderabad, he said there were no investigations being carried out against him. He said the PTI chairman himself faced allegations of different nature time to time.

“We are politicians with political experience and have been deeply involved in politics; and we have seen break-up of the country, hanging of our leader and derailment of democratic process, but Imran Khan has not seen anything of the sort so far,” he said.

Our Correspondent in Hyderabad contributed to the report

Published in Dawn October 27th, 2016