I WAS BROUGHT INTO POWER BY THE MANDATE OF THE PEOPLE AND ONLY THE PEOPLE HAVE THE MANDATE TO REMOVE ME.(PM Nawaz Sharif)

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that governments had been toppled in the country on accusations of corruption and being a 'security risk' in the past.

PM Nawaz was chairing the parliamentary meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz here Friday.

During the meeting, the Premier reiterated his decision not to step down from office on the call of opposition, saying that he would continue to fight for the people of Pakistan till the end.

Nawaz Sharif went on to say that he had done nothing wrong and his conscience was clear.

Members of the parliamentary party overwhelmingly participated in the meeting, summoned to chalk out strategy in response to the opposition’s calls for the premier’s resignation following the submission of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report in the Supreme Court.

Sources said the members warmly welcomed PM Nawaz by thumping desks on his arrival for the meeting at the PM House.

Sources said at the beginning of the meeting, legal experts gave a briefing on the JIT report and the government's potential response in the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while chairing meeting of federal cabinet explicitly dismissed JIT report that has raised questions about the source of his family´s wealth, rejecting it as slander.

Nawaz Sharif, serving his third term as prime minister, faces opposition calls to step down but he was defiant in his condemnation of the report that alleges his family´s income from business was not large enough to explain its wealth.

Amid loud thumping of desks by the Federal Cabinet members, confident and resolute Prime Minister said he was not going to resign and those seeking his resignation must come up with solid proof against him.

“I have no burden on my conscience by the grace of Allah. I haven’t done anything wrong. Our family has gained nothing from politics but lost a lot,” he said while chairing meeting of the Federal Cabinet.

The cabinet reposed full confidence in the leadership of the prime minister and endorsed his firm decision not to step down.

Addressing the cabinet, he asked: “Should I resign on the demand of anti-democracy forces? Why should I resign and on what basis? I was brought into power by the mandate of the people and only the people have the mandate to remove me.”

Earlier this week, the JIT submitted its findings and declared that Mr. Sharif remained chairman of FZE Capital Company in Dubai, contrary to his statement in Parliament that he was not part of any business since 1998. The JIT also declared that Mr. Sharif’s children submitted forged documents and lied before the investigators. They have vehemently denied allegations and termed the report of the JIT conjecture.

But Opposition parties have persisted with the resignation demand. Opposition leaders Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) and Bilawal Bhutto of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have warned that “democracy could be in danger” if Mr. Sharif did not agree to step down.

Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Friday urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stand his ground on resignation calls from the opposition and not step down.