Islamabad : Opposition lawmakers on Thursday filed a reference against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, seeking his disqualification for 'engineering the Stock Exchange crash through his agents and also selling out the country's biggest steel mills through a shady deal.
Signed by some 30 opposition lawmakers from all groups, the reference was submitted with the Speaker National Assembly, requesting him to forward it to the Chief Election Commissioner.
"As the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz is known to have engineered the Stock Exchange crash through his front man Arif Hahib and others thereby enriched themselves at the coast of public at large through fraud, forgery and manipulation," the reference said.
The Karachi Stock Exchange crashed in March 2005, the crash was blamed on 11 high-profile brokers for their involvement in the crash.
Dr Tariq Hassan, the former chairman of the Security and Exchange Commission, which monitor the stock exchanges, had stated that he was removed from office for taking the decision to appoint forensic investigators to probe the crash.
The reference also referred to the selling of the Steel Mills, Karachi, the most lucrative and strategic asset, by approving its privatization in the cabinet and then sending the privatization Minister on leave and giving additional charge to his blue eyed Minister Owais Leghari.
The reference said that the Prime Minister had privatized the Steel Mills finalized through the Minister.
It pointed out that the Supreme Court of Pakistan while setting aside the privatization of 'steel mills' passed stricture against the whole process which judgment itself is sufficient to disqualify Mr. Shaukat Aziz as Member of National Assembly.
The reference said that other disqualifications, which he has incurred during his tenure as MNA Prime Minister, would be submitted at the time of adjudication of this reference for which the opposition members say they preserve their rights to add in view of the decency and also keeping in view the nation interest supreme such irrefutable charges will be unfurled against Shaukat Aziz.
The Speaker was requested that the reference may accordingly be referred to the Chief Election Commissioner.