Central leader Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has termed Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif’s statement regarding Chiniot mines leasing out as pack of lies which he had given while addressing a press conference after appearing before the NAB.
ISLAMABAD, (Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jan, 2018) : Central leader Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has termed Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif’s statement regarding Chiniot mines leasing out as pack of lies which he had given while addressing a press conference after appearing before the NAB. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Ch Parvez Elahi asked CM Punjab as to what iron he has discovered after spending Rs 2.
5 billion, my government after spending Rs 4 crore only had found that iron found there is not usable, Shehbaz Sharif wants that on telling lies repeatedly his name should be mentioned in the Guinness Book, on December 6, 2007 when agreement was signed for giving on lease to company of Arshad Waheed, I was not the Chief Minister there was caretaker government. The PML leader further said that Shehbaz Sharif cannot deny facts, Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (R) Ejaz Nisar has signed summary about giving on lease to him on November 24, 2007 and agreement was signed with Arshad Waheed Company on December 6, neither me nor my government had any connection with entire matter, when Sharif brothers had staged drama of discovering gold from there and changing fate of the nation I had just then stated that even iron found there is not usable even from where they have brought so much gold and precious metals from where, even now on diverting attention from cases against him in NAB he is talking like this.
Ch Parvez Elahi said further that around 1988 Geographical Survey of Pakistan had for the first time indicated presence of iron reserves in Rajoua area of Chiniot but Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif despite being the prime minister and the chief minister had not paid any attention to this report, I as the Chief Minister had brought out this report from cold storage in 2004 and on my direction the Mineral Department had taken samples from different places of the area had sent to the Steel Mill of Pakistan, in its written report the Steel Mill said this iron is not usable because in it Fe ratio is only up to 35-40 per cent whereas only such iron is usable in which this is up to 60 per cent and the matter had ended there.
He further pointed out that when Pakistani origin American Arshad Waheed's Company Earth Resources Private Limited got mining contract then our government was no more in power, they had submitted application they want to try finding iron there and they will bear this project cost of Rs 30 to 35 crore themselves, Arshad Waheed Company had not started work properly on this project after agreement with the caretaker government Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the chief minister had immediately cancelled this agreement and the company had appealed against this in Lahore High Court which was rejected afterwards Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif announced to have discovered gold and lot more from there and changing fate of the nation.
He said where that gold has gone they do not talk about in this regard, in fact what basic work we had done regarding discovery of iron in Rajoua Chiniot it is still there even today and when Shehbaz Sharif was talking about discovering gold, German experts present there had said that nothing can be said at this stage.