LAHORE: The opposition parties, including Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), are jubilant at the accountability court verdict against PML-N leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Safdar. They expressed satisfaction with the decision and lauded the courts for the ‘historical move’.

Giving his reaction to the verdict PAT chief Tahirul Qadri said the sentence to Nawaz was less than his crimes but it vindicated stance of his party that London properties were built by the money laundered from the country.

In a tweet immediately after the announcement on Friday, he said the real challenge now was how to get corruption money back. He added that though the sentence to Nawaz was less but the PAT was happy that at least the process of holding the mighty responsible had started.

“All those – the JIT members, NAB prosecutors and the judge – who helped establish the crime deserve congratulations,” Qadri said in a statement.

PAT, PPP, PTI, PML-Q leaders laud court for the decision

Following the decision, celebration broke out in the compound of Minhajul Quran headquarters and workers distributed sweets among each other. Spirited sloganeering coincided with distribution of sweets.

PPP Punjab president Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the courts had started delivering anti-Sharifs verdicts for the first time in last three years.

“The PPP always believe in courts and their decisions. The courts should continue delivering justice regardless of politics and political process.

“Whenever the PPP tried to expose corruption of the Sharifs, no one believed us. Today, the courts have done justice. The big brother (Nawaz) has been caught, now it is turn of the younger one (Shahbaz),” he said in a press statement.

MULTAN: Terming the conviction of Nawaz Sharif historical, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said a new era of change had started with this conviction.

Talking to the media here, he said Mr Sharif was given every opportunity to defend himself but he failed.

“I congratulate the judges and nation on this historical decision,” he said.

He said if the PML-N wanted to boycott the election to react to the decision, it is free to do that; however, such a decision will harm democracy in the country.

“Nawaz Sharif will not commit the mistake of boycotting the election,” he predicted.

Mr Qureshi said Nawaz had already accepted the decision of his disqualification by the Supreme Court as he himself handed over the PML-N leadership to Shahbaz Sharif.

He said the political struggle of the PTI to make a new Pakistan would continue and Imran Khan will address a public gathering in Multan on July 20. He said the PTI has an economic plan to put the country on the path to progress.

GUJRAT: PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi did not give credit to anybody for the verdict against Nawaz, saying it was the work of God and He punished the PML-N leader.

The Sharifs had rendered Punjab bankrupt, he added.

“The chief justice of Pakistan has also pointed out that billions of rupees of public exchequer were swallowed through Saaf Pani Company.”

He said the Sharifs should first account for last 10 years, then come asking for vote.

SIALKOT: PTI leader Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says the court verdict had proven the corruption of the Sharifs, saying it had also made it clear that the PML-N leaders were corrupt.

Talking to the media at Koobey Chak here, Ms Awan said the court verdict was a result of the PTI’s years-long struggle against corruption of Nawaz and his family.

MULTAN PROTEST:

A handful of the PML-N workers, led by its district president Muhammad Bilal Butt and former MNA Sultana Shaheen, gathered at Katchery Chowk and held a protest against the decision of the accountability court against their leader Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Safdar. They burnt tyres to block the traffic and raised slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif and against the National Accountancy Bureau (NAB). They dispersed peacefully after raising slogans for some time.

Published in Dawn, July 07th, 2018