Govt does not want to repeat politics of ’90s: Kh Asif

Lahore: Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif Monday said when people were not even aware about the meaning and spelling of off-shore companies, Imran Khan set up off-shore companies in 1983 and also established off-shore companies for investing charity funds of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital.

Talking to newsmen outside the Parliament, flanked by Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid, he said that Imran Khan was preaching people to invest in the country while he himself invested charity funds in off-shore companies.

He said that Imran Khan was too smart that he remained silent about his own off-shore company till it was revealed in the media and he had to accept it.

Asif said the Prime Minister name was not mentioned in the Panama leaks.The minister questioned from where Imran Khan earned money to set up Niazi off-shore company.
He said that thrice elected prime minister of the country presented details of his assets before the Parliament.
He challenged Imran Khan to declare his assets on floor of the House like the Prime Minister did in the wake of allegation leveled against him.
Asif said that Imran Khan invested seven million dollars charity fund of Shaukat Khanum in the off-shore companies located in France and Muscat in 2008.
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on the occasion said the opposition had showed irresponsibility by walking out of the House.
He said the Speaker National Assembly contacted the Opposition and the government and it was agreed that the Opposition Leader and Imran Khan would speak in the House after the Prime Minister’s speech.
He said earlier, the opposition demanded setting up a judicial commission, then they raised issue of Terms of Reference (TORs) and in the last they demanded the Prime Minister clarification on floor of the House.
The Minister said the PM gave more details in his speech than sought by the Opposition in their seven questions. He said the Prime Minister assured that he would give more details at any forum constituted as a result of talks between the government and opposition.
He lamented that unfortunately the entire opposition was playing in the hands of four people that were Imran Khan, Aitzaz Ahsan, Sheikh Rashid and Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi adding that they were settling their personal scores, grievances and pains.
Saad warned that some opposition members should not play with fire and cross the redline. He said that Imran Khan had earlier attempted and held hostage the parliament for 126 days.
He called on the senior members of Pakistan Peoples Party that they should not be held hostage by the four men.
He said that Imran Khan and Khurshid Shah should speak on the floor of the House and it was irresponsible to say that the PM speech was not acceptable.
The Minister said that they would resolve the issue through consensus.
Replying to a question, Saad Rafique said that both PPP and PML-N crossed the red-line in ’90s causing damages to the parties as well as to the democracy and the country.
“We don’t want to go back to the politics of ’90s,” he said.
He said that two political actors rejected by the people were trying to tarnish image of politicians.
To a question, Khawaja Asif said that names of the defaulters and those who had waived off their loans were present in the  commission report of the Supreme Court.