Nawaz Sharif lies again

Nawaz Sharif lies again

Dr. Jassim Taqui

In a bid to divert the public attention from the involvement in Panama Leaks scandal, the Prime Minister Nawaz opened for debate once again the CPEC. He claimed that CPEC was a “gift” from China. This notion is utterly false. China does not gift $46 billion. No other government in the world does such an act.

Firstly, it was the former COAS Gen. Pervez Musharraf who started CPEC way back in 2004 by building Gwadar deep port in Balochistan. The project continues during the reigns of Shaukat Aziz and PPP respectively. When Nawaz Sharif came to power in 2013, everything was ready. He had just to formally sign the agreement.

In fact, Nawaz Sharif attempted to sabotage CPEC by insisting on changing its route from Gwadar Baluchistan- KPK- Gilgit Baltistan-Urumqi to Gwadar- Lahore- Peshawar- Gilgit- Baltistan- Urumqi. 

The new route, which is called the Western route, means an increase of 500 km.

Secondly, China insisted on the Eastern route. Similarly, Nawaz Sharif refused a Chinese proposal to hand over the administration of the CPEC to the army, especially when the army raised a full corps to defend the corridor.

Thirdly, Nawaz Sharif did not run to China to get an urgent loan to save Pakistan from imminent bankruptcy. He and his team are fully aware that Beijing would never give them the loan. Therefore, he knocked the door of Saudi Arabia, which gave him $1.5 billion in lieu of stationing Pak troops in Saudi Arabia. However, Nawaz Sharif took the Saudis but failed to fulfill his commitment. Furthermore, the $1.5 billion was deposited with The State Bank of Pakistan as a trust.

In fact, Nawaz Sharif lied to the nation and the international comity regarding his open-heart operation. A pertinent question has arisen; who would take you seriously?

In the process, Nawaz Sharif has embarrassed China, which conducts its diplomacy through diplomatic channels and not through the media.

Having publicly owned the allegations of Panama Leaks, the proper step for Nawaz Sharif was that he should have resigned. This would enable the PML-N to elect another prime minister so as the democratic system would continue to function.