ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif held an Iqama (work permit) when he was the prime minister of the country.
“Khawaja Asif held Iqama while serving as defense minister while Ishaq Dar had a Saudi Iqama when he was the finance minister of the country,” Bukhari said while responding to the PML-N criticism on advisers and special assistants, who declared their dual nationalities and assets on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
There should be some shame while criticising others, he lamented PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and said that he should respond to permanent residences held by their leadership before criticising others.
He said that PM Imran has his assets in Pakistan while on the contrary, the PML-N leadership remains fugitive. “Those who looted this country are hiding behind their diseases,” he blamed and said that PM Imran has waged a war against corrupt elements in the society.
It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government has revealed the details pertaining to the assets and dual nationalities of 15 advisers and special assistants in the federal cabinet on the directives of the prime minister.
It emerged that five of the advisors and special assistants of the cabinet possess dual nationality while three of them are green card holders.
Bukhari holds a British passport, Nadeem Afzal Chan has Canadian citizenship while Moeed Yusuf and Shahbaz Gill are green card holders (permanent residence of US).
Shahzad Syed Qasim and Nadeem Babar have US citizenship while Tania Aidrus holds dual nationality of Canada and a permanent residency of Singapore.
Earlier, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday demanded resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s ministers and advisers holding dual nationality.
In a statement, the PML-N spokesperson stated that PM Imran had said that those having dual nationality cannot take decisions for the country. She further asked why those possessing foreign passports have been allowed to sit in the cabinet.
The reaction came after the federal government had released asset details of the prime minister’s advisers and special assistants. Notably, five special assistants hold dual citizenship.
