ISLAMABAD: (APP) PM Pakistan Nawaz Sharif presents his assets and Tax record in Parliament
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Monday called for setting up a Parliamentary Committee, comprising government and opposition benches to formulate a new set of Terms of Reference (TORs) to identify and hold accountable all the corrupt.
“All the details of my assets, documents and proof of purchase and sale of property are available for the committee’s perusal,” the Prime Minister told a sitting of the Parliament, gathered to hear his point of view, following the Panama Leaks.
“We are sincerely working for a ‘Roshan Pakistan’ and have no doubt in saying that the Pakistan of 2018 will be much better, more prosperous and developed, than what we have now.”
The Prime Minister said the Parliamentary Committee could define the modalities for a further probe into the facts that he has presented before the august house. He said he would be pleased to present any record, proof and details that the committee would require.
“If we are to go ahead for accountability, then there would be no two different parameters,” the Prime Minister said and added “everyone would have to pass through the same scale.”
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said his family bought the apartments in London through the proceeds of sale of the Jeddah Steel Mill in 2005.
Prime Minister in categorical terms said that “not even a rupee was sent abroad from Pakistan,” for the purchase of the apartments in London, as the treasury benches thumped the desks.
Earlier when the Prime Minister, wearing a white shalwar-kameez and light blue-grey waist coat, entered the hall, it resounded with slogans of “dekho dekho kon aya – sher aya, sher aya”.
Prime Minister shook hands with the parliamentarians and crossed the divide to shake hands with the leader of opposition Syed Khurshid Shah.
The Prime Minister spoke in detail about the baseless allegations being levelled against his family and his person, following the surfacing of the documents related to offshore companies and said neither he nor his family got waived even a single penny from the banks, nor any tax was evaded.
The Prime Minister sought attention of the House that a comprehensive and effective system of accountability be set up to investigate such issues.
He said there was need for a new system of comprehensive accountability that could put an end to the culture of levelling baseless allegations.
The Prime Minister gave details of the strong business background of his family that had been serving the nation for decades, honestly paying its taxes and strengthening the national economy.
The Prime Minister rejected the allegations and said the people of Pakistan need to know the details of those who had seen a sudden rise in their fortunes and were now travelling freely on helicopters, expensive cars, touring the world and living in palaces.
“In past 23 years, we paid around Rs 10 billion in taxes and government duties, including the period I was forced in exile,” the Prime Minister said and handed over the entire record to the Speaker National Assembly.
“In my person, I paid Rs 36 million as tax during the same period,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, amidst loud thumping of desks.
Putting the record straight on the purchase of apartments in London, the Prime Minister said following the nationalisation of the private industrial units, many were forced to leave the country to protect their assets.
He said Sheikh Rashid al Makhtoum inaugurated the steel mill set up by his father in the United Arab Emirates in 1973 and also showed photographs of the historic event.