ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz says former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is criticizing state institutions to protect his assets made through corruption.

Talking to media in Islamabad on Thursday, he said it is unfortunate that a three-time Prime Minister of the country is making anti-state speeches. He said Nawaz Sharif made assets of billions of rupees abroad through money laundering.

He urged the former Prime Minister to give answer about his assets abroad and how he laundered money out of the country instead of beating about the bush. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has provided his money trail in the court.

The Minister said the people of Pakistan gave three chances to Nawaz Sharif to rule Pakistan, but he ruined country's economy and its institutions. He said former rulers wasted 23 billion dollars to artificially control the dollar value.

Syed Shibli Faraz said government and the judiciary, while showing sympathy, allowed Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment, but in response of that the former Prime Minister is busy in weakening the country.

Regarding Nawaz Sharif's allegations of rigging in last general elections, the Information Minister said they are professional liars. He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had launched a movement and demanded opening of four constituencies in General Election 2013. He said around 487 election petitions were filed by various political parties, while majority of them was submitted by the PTI.

He said in 2018 elections, 287 election petitions were filed and 90 of them were about National Assembly constituencies. He said 45 of those 90 petitions were filed by PTI, where our candidates had lost elections with a margin of 50 to 2000 votes. He said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz considers Punjab its stronghold, where total election petitions were 13 and 11 of them belonged to PML-N. He said what an irony it is that after the lapse of two years, Nawaz Sharif is now talking of rigging.

He said they should have followed the due process instead of maligning the entire election proceedings. He said they are misleading the people of Pakistan and they will not succeed in their nefarious designs. He said Nawaz Sharif is blackmailing the government and state institutions to hide his corruption. He said the government is determined to go after the corrupt, come what may.

Speaking about government's efforts to reduce inflation, Syed Shibli Faraz said there is sufficient stock of wheat and sugar in the country. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan is very concerned about availability of essential items. He said the government is working on evolving a strategy to ensure essential items like flour, sugar, ghee, pulses, and other things at affordable rates to the general public. NNI