Is Everyone Else In Pak Honest And Righteous? Nawaz Sharif Wants To Know

Islamabad: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, still smarting from the shock disqualification by the country's Supreme Court for dishonesty, wants to know if everyone else in Pakistan was "sadiq and ameen" (honest and righteous). The top court on Friday disqualified Mr Sharif, 67, for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal, forcing him to resign.

The court said Mr Sharif had been dishonest in not disclosing his earnings from his son's Dubai-based company in his nomination papers ahead of the 2013 general election. One of the top court judges, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, said Mr Sharif was no longer "eligible to be an honest Member of the Parliament".

"You should be proud that your leader doesn't have a stain of corruption on him. I am proud that I have not been declared ineligible over charges of corruption," Mr Sharif told leaders of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N yesterday while naming his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif as his successor.

The former prime minister said he has never taken any kickback or commission, and compromised on principles. "When I never took a salary, what would I declare?" he said, referring to the Supreme Court judgement that led to his ouster. "When you take something, there's a problem; when you don't, there's a problem," he added.

"Is it only my family that should be held accountable? Is everyone else in this country sadiq and ameen?" Mr Sharif said. "My conscience is clear. If I had done something wrong, or took something from this country that was not mine, I would have felt the guilt myself," he said.

Rehman Malik, former interior minister and a senior member of the Pakistan People's Party, said sadiq and ameen are words mentioned in Pakistan's constitution - as also they are "qualifications for a member of Majlis-i-Shoora (parliament)".

Mr Malik, however, rued that "it disheartens the soul to see public office holders including politicians and officials taking cover behind these words - sadiq and ameen - and openly being dishonest in their actions and deeds."