Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have stepped down : Siraj ul Haq

Lahore: Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Senator Siraj ul Haq, has said that the Panama leaks so far were only the preface and the whole book on corruption was about to open soon.

Speaking at a luncheon he hosted for the members of the Punjab Assembly Press Gallery at a local hotel, he said that people all over the country were raising fingers on the off shore companies of the Prime Minister’s family and said that the Premier should have emulated the example set by the Prime Minister of Iceland and stepped down.

Sirajul Haq said that a thorough probe into the matter by a three member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice alone would restore the masses’ confidence in the Prime Minister. He said that the Prime Minister’s announcement for setting up a commission under a retired judge of the Supreme Court was simply an attempt to put off the issue.  He said there was need for a countrywide operation against those hiding their wealth and evading taxes.

He said that the Prime Minister’s address to the nation had removed all doubts in the public mind and they were now sure that the rulers were guilty of corruption. He said that the Opposition leaders were also nervous on the Panama leaks.

Sirajul Haq said that there was need to administer anti corruption drops to the rulers in the way Polio drops were administered to the infants. He said that as long as the rulers did not pledge to refrain from corruption, the country’s could not progress. He said had the institutions of accountability been working properly, the situation would not reached that far. He said that the Panama leaks had totally shattered the image of the rulers and there was no moral ground for them to stay in power.  He said that  JI had moved an adjournment motion on the issue in the Senate.

He said it was a matter of great shame that Pakistani labourers working abroad were remitting their hard earned remittance to the country while the rulers were plundering public money and  transferring that to foreign countries. He said the ruling feudal class thought itself a different breed and their way of life was totally different from that of the masses.

He said there was need for stringent laws against corruption at global level and all those  involved in corruption should be tried under terrorist act and their properties be confiscated.

He said that if corruption was wiped out and the huge amount of 375 billion dollars lying abroad was brought back to the country, the development budget of the country could be doubled, basic necessities like education, health, gas and electricity could be provided to the masses free of charge and the unemployed youth could be provided jobs.

Sirajul Haq said that in order to get rid of the IMF and the World Bank, the honest people should unite against corruption.