British newspaper Daily Mail on Thursday retracted its allegations against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about embezzling public funds in a news story.
The news story titled ‘Did the family of Pakistani politician who has become the poster boy for British overseas aid steal funds meant for earthquake victims’ was published on July 14, 2019.
In the concerning article, the British newspaper said it reported on an investigation by National Accountability Bureau into PM Shehbaz and suggested that the money under investigation “included a not insubstantial sum of British public money that had been paid to the Punjab province in DFID grant aid”.
“We accept Mr Sharif has never been accused by the National Accountability Bureau of any wrongdoing in relation to British public money or DFID grant aid,” the newspaper said in a statement published on its website.
“We are pleased to make this clear and apologise to Mr Sharif for this error,” it added. The British publication has also reportedly removed its reporter David Rose story from all platforms.
PM Shehbaz Sharif had filed a case in the London High Court against British newspaper Daily Mail and its reporter David Rose for publishing a “fabricated and defamatory” report against him in 2020.
