Karamat denies planning imposition of martial law

Karamat denied that he was close to declaring martial law in view of the severe economic crisis and the danger of the country defaulting on foreign loan repayments.

The paper had claimed that most of the information published was supplied by former additional director general of Pakistan’s Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) Rehman Malik against whom the present government has since issued a warrant of arrest.

Karamat was of the view that the people spreading such rumours were “enemies of Pakistan. “They should sometimes also report some positive things about Pakistan”, hesaid. Former interior minister Naseerullah Babar has also asked President Rafiq Tarar to hold an enquiry into the charges that Sharif defaulted on payments to 31 financial institutions .

Several other leaders have made a similar demand. The government of Benazir Bhutto had initiated the inquiry into the charges against Sharif but before the enquiry could be completed and a case filed in the court, Sharif returned to power and removed Rehman Malik and others. Later, Sharif instituted a case against Malik .

Meanwhile, law minister Khalid Anwar alleged that Bhutto had launched a “false campaign” against Sharif “to divert the attention of the people from her own crimes”. Benazir, he added, was trying to save herself from the “accountability process”.

Sharif’s son, Hasan Nawaz, in a statement issued in London, denied Malik’s allegations. He said the prime minister had two rented flats in London where his children stay in order to pursue their education.