Bilawal accused Sharif of using political power to build a ‘business empire’

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday, adding his voice to the furore over the offshore assets of his children revealed in the Panama Papers leak.

Addressing a public meeting at Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in connection with the forthcoming state legislative assembly elections, the PPP leader accused Sharif of using political power to build a “business empire.”

His tirade against Sharif came a day before a planned massive rally by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan on Sunday in Lahore, capital of Punjab province, power base of the prime minister’s family.

Bilawal, in his emotion-charged address, also accused Sharif of being soft towards India and its leadership despite their anti-Pakistan policy and repression in Indian-admistered Kashmir.

He urged voters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to reject in the July polls the party of Nawaz Sharif whom he called “Modi’s buddy,” referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The young PPP leader whose party is currently in power in Pakistani Kashmir, blamed Sharif for not projecting forcefully at the international level the cause of right of self-determination of people of Kashmir recognised in UN resolutions.

Bilawal claimed that the Sharif-led government has been severely jolted by the Panama leaks and that “its days are numbered.”

The PTI, PPP and other opposition parties are demanding a credible probe into the offshore assets under the cotunry’s chief justice with the involvement of international forensic auditors.

Imran has threatened street agitation to force Sharif to step down, calling the PTI’s Sunday rally in Lahore a “warm up” for the campaign.

The prime minister and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have vowed to defeat attempts to destabilise the country and sabotage its march on the road to development and economic progress.

Sharif last week wrote a letter to Chief Justice Anwar Jamali to set up an inquiry commission to look into allegations linked to Panama leaks.

Jamali, who has just returned home from a weeklong official visit to Turkey, is expected to give his response to the letter in the coming days.

The parties in the opposition camp have decided to hold a meeting on May 2 to work out a joint position regarding constitution and terms of reference of a probe commission.