ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said he always preferred values over power, adding that they were vindicated in toughest accountability in the past and will do the same in future.
Presiding over a meeting of the federal ministers, advisers and special assistants, he said “our conscience is clear”. He said whole world is convinced of transparency in development projects by his government, adding that all decisions of national concerns were taken with deliberation with political forces.
He said his government wants to rid people of the swamp of years of challenges, adding that the opponents worry they will be left behind in politics if the current government completes its constitutional tenure. He said they will restore the crumbling economy and eliminate faults in departments. He said that those who stopped road to progress and prosperity by creating instability failed in the past and will fail also in the future.
The prime minister’s remarks come minutes after Army Chief General Raheel Sharif dismissed 11 high-ranking military officers over corruption. The recent developments follow Panama Papers revelations shrouding the prime minister’s family among many other prominent political figures holding off-shore wealth.
Around 220 Pakistanis, including three children of PM Nawaz, have been named in the massive leak of documents from a Panama-based law firm. The prime minister has rejected any allegations of money laundering, claiming his children have legitimate businesses abroad, and has called for the establishment of an inquiry commission.
“We will not let anyone hinder the country’s stability and prosperity. The process of bringing Pakistan out of darkness, reviving its economy and removing shortcomings in different sectors, which started three years back, will not stop and will continue with the same zeal,” he said.
He said international economies acknowledged the progress being made by the country in terms of economy, energy sector, infrastructure and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. PM Nawaz said his government was working hard to ensure an end to the ongoing power crises in the country by 2018.
