Fawad accuses Nawaz of striking 'back door deal with establishment'

ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has alleged that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was given relief in corruption cases registered against him as he had struck a "political deal" with the security establishment.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Chaudhry said that Sharif had chosen a "back door deal with the establishment" rather than facing the cases on merit.

Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the Sharif family had been given relief as they became part of the "regime-change operation." According to the news report, PTI leaders refer the "regime-change operation" to the time when former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted from the post through a no-confidence vote in April this year.

When asked if Nawaz Sharif sealed the deal with former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chaudhry responded that deal was not straightforward, as per The Express Tribune report.

He said that Sharif family shold not influence the courts if they think they are innocent. Chaudhry added that "mockery of justice" was at an "unparalleled scale."

He emphasised that cases registered against the Sharif family were based on solid evidence. He claimed that the Sharif family was "managing" the Federal Investigation Agency and "influencing the courts."

"The cases against the Sharif family are based on solid evidence," The Express Tribune quoted Fawad Chaudhry as saying. "Laws were amended, witnesses harassed, [and] lawyers changed to give clean chit to the Sharif family in the cases [against it]," he added.

Former Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry in the statement criticised Nawaz Sharif for leaving Pakistan by lying to the court. He claimed that the Sharif family had started the "corruption and fraud" culture in Pakistan.

He made the remarks in response to Nawaz Sharif's statement regarding an apology issued by a media outlet. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced its decision to hold rallies in Karachi to pressure PM Shehbaz Sharif's government regarding the demand for transparent and early elections, ARY News reported.

In a statement, PTI has issued the schedule to hold rallies in Karachi. The rallies are scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The rallies will be held in Model Town, Manghopir, Mominabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Safora Chowrangi, Hyderi Market and Saddar, as per the ARY News report.

Notably, PTI has launched the "election karao mulk bachao" (hold elections and save the country) campaign in Karachi to put pressure on the incumbent government to hold general elections.