LAHORE   -  Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif Friday demanded legal action and day to day court proceedings against Prime Minister Imran Khan after a report of the Scrutiny Committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan stated that the PTI hid millions of rupees worth of funds.

In a statement released by PML-N on Twitter on Friday, Shehbaz Sharif said that a person, who hides facts, steals, and lies, cannot hold constitutional, governmental or political office. 

Shehbaz went on to say that if the law could be applied to a popular leader like Nawaz Sharif when why not Imran Niazi. “If the Panama Papers JIT can be formed against Nawaz Sharif and can be overseen by the honourable judges of the Supreme Court then why this can’t be done to Imran Niazi?” he asked.

The Opposition leader said that under the Constitution of Pakistan and its laws no thief can be a prime minister. “Imran Niazi, who has been proven a thief and a liar under the law, must resign,” he demanded.

Shehbaz Sharif said that the Constitution, law and political code of conduct dictates that PM Imran Khan step down from office. The ECP’s scrutiny committee has said that Imran Niazi is neither honest nor trustworthy, he added. 

The PML-N president also demanded that a probe be initiated against PM Imran Khan and his case be heard on a daily basis just like against former PM Nawaz Sharif. He said equal treatment under the Constitution and law is a fundamental tenet of Pakistan’s laws and one that must be fulfilled.

“The ECP’s scrutiny committee has charged Imran Niazi and his party under the law,” he said.

He said the country is operating without a prime minister and is being governed under a constitutional and legal vaccuum. “(Pakistan has) no leader of the Parliament,” he said, adding that under the law and Constitution, Imran Niazi cannot decide on the country’s affairs. After the ECP scrutiny report, he said, any decision that is made cannot be considered constitutional or legal. 

The Opposition leader also demanded a review of the deal with the International Monetary Fund and the supplementary finance bill, termed by the Opposition as a mini-budget. He also called for all those named in ECP’s report to resign, and for legal action without delay against four PTI employees, as well all others involved in accepting foreign funding for the party.

Shehbaz said he will speak to the Opposition regarding the grave constitutional vaccuum that the ECP’s findings have led to. “All parties and workers that have faith in the Constitution and the law will have to play their part in bringing Pakistan out of this constitutional vaccum,” he said.

Shehbaz Sharif said that further investigations are needed into which other foreign entities donated to the party and that details of PTI’s international accounts must be brought to the fore.

“The people who accepted illegal funds from non-state actors and companies are a threat to the nuclear power that Pakistan is,” he said. The Opposition leader said that had such revelations come to light in a western country, the prime minister there would have already resigned.

Shehbaz said on page 92 of the report, “it is mentioned that from 2009-13, PTI hid 53 bank accounts”, while disclosing “only 12 bank accounts to the ECP. He said that the State Bank of Pakistan’s information to the ECP revealed that PTI had a total of 65 accounts.