FIA, NAB unearthed mega Nawaz-Zardari nexus of corruption, money laundering: Fawad.

ISLAMABAD -- Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday said the investigation departments, including FIA and NAB, had successfully unearthed the mega corruption and money laundering nexus between Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing a news conference flanked by Special Assistant of the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Shehzad Akbar, he said the duo would have continued to play the game but to their disappointment, Imran Khan came to power and all their misdeeds came to fore as national institutions were given a free hand against the looters of national wealth.

Both Nawaz and Zardari, he said, were involved in plundering national wealth through kickbacks in mega projects and the proceeds of their white collar crimes were laundered abroad through fake bank accounts.

Fawad said Nawaz Sharif was given enough opportunity to plead his case at different forums, including the Supreme Court, accountability courts and the floor of parliament, but he failed to provide any money trail regarding his assets abroad.

He said today was a historic day in the country's history as Pakistan had taken another step towards a corruption-free state as envisioned by the Father of the Nation. The day, he added, also coincided with the eve of the birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who had given guidelines for good governance and controlling black marketing and corruption.

There was a big leap forward as 'the two thugs of Pakistan' had been exposed, one through the accountability court's verdict and the other through the Joint Investigation Team's (JIT) report in the fake bank accounts case, he said.

The minister said there was a long history of Imran Khan's struggle for investigation of the Panama Papers, which had surfaced in the year 2016. Nawaz Sharif's name was mentioned in the leaked documents relating to properties built with corruption money through offshore companies.

He said the Supreme Court had disqualified Nawaz Sharif in 2017 and directed the National Accountability Bureau to file three references against him. In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference, today he was awarded seven-year imprisonment, besides fines of $ 25 million and Rs 15.5 billion by the accountability court, he added.

He said it was strange that Nawaz Sharif, who remained prime minister thrice, had taken the plea that his sons were British nationals and would not appear in Pakistani courts. His sons also did not bother...