–Maryam Nawaz says family has not sought any leniency from govt regarding ex-PM’s medical treatment
LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday was shifted from Services Hospital to Kot Lakhpat Jail where he has been serving a seven-year sentence for corruption.
Earlier in the day, the deposed prime minister met his mother and daughter Maryam Nawaz at Services Hospital.
Nawaz’s mother did not speak to the media, citing throat infection as the reason.
However, in a series of tweets, Maryam Nawaz criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and said that the Sharif family has never requested the government to show any “leniency” towards Nawaz Sharif, despite his medical condition.
بہت بڑی آزمائش آئی مگر توکل الّلہ پر رکھا، حکومت سے نہ کبھی علاج کی درخواست کی نہ کریں گے۔ میری مرحوم والدہ جب بسترِمرگ پر تھیں، ان خوفِ خدا سے عاری انسانوں نے جو اب حکومت میں ہیں ان کی بیماری کا مزاق اڑایا تھا۔ ظلم کی رات چھوٹی مگر اس کی پکڑ بہت بڑی۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 7, 2019
“We will not even request the government to do so in future,” she asserted.
The former premier’s daughter said that the government had formed multiple medical boards to examine her father’s health and all of them had diagnosed him with heart disease.
ایک کے بعد دوسرا بورڈ اور ایک اسپتال کے بعد دوسرا اسپتال۔ پہلے PIC, پھر جیل، پھر سروسز اسپتال جہاں امراض قلب کا شعبہ ہے ہی نہیں۔ اب پھر PIC لے جانے کی کوشش۔ میاں صاحب نے انکار کر دیا اور کہا کہ میں نہ خانہ بدوش ہوں نہ تضحیک کا نشانہ بننے کو تیار ہوں، مجھے واپس جیل لے جایا جائے۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 7, 2019
“Despite the recommendation of the medical board to shift him to the cardiac hospital, the government shifted him to Services Hospital,” she said.
She also accused the government of politicising her father’s health.
میں نے چپ رہ کر سب کچھ سہا اور مانگا تو صرف اللّہ سے، کسی چیز پر سیاست نہیں کی، مگر اب اگر میرے والد کی صحت سے کھلواڑ کیا گیا، یا اس کو سیاست کی نظر کیا گیا، یا ان کو خدا نہ خواستہ کوئی نقصان پہنچا تو اس کی ذمہ داری حکومت پر ہو گی۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 7, 2019
“I remained patient in the face of all atrocities and never sought help from anyone other than Allah. Never did politics on any issue but if my father’s health is politicised and if God forbid anything happens to him, the government would be responsible,” she said.
She also lamented that Nawaz cried for help in jail due to pain in his chest but no one helped him.
ایک رات جیل میں میاں صاحب کو سینے میں تکلیف ہوئی، وہ آوازیں دیتے رہے مگر کوئی نہ آیا۔ اس بے حسی اور سیاسی انتقام کا جواب حکمرانوں کو دینا پڑے کا۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 7, 2019
“One night Mian Sahab had pain in his chest and he cried for help but no one helped him. The government would have to answer for this shameless behaviour,” she further said.
A day earlier, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo had refused to go to the hospital and insisted on returning to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
“I have already been treated at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore and I am not interested in going there again. It is better if I am shifted back to the jail,” an official quoted the ex-premier as having said.
Nawaz had maintained that he was taken to the PIC before being shifted to the Services Hospital and felt it was not appropriate for him to be wandered around.
The Services Hospital’s medical board had on Tuesday recommended that Nawaz be shifted to a cardiac health facility.
On February 2, the deposed premier was shifted from the Kot Lakhpat prison to Services Hospital. A medical board constituted to monitor Nawaz’s health had recommended that he be shifted to a hospital from prison.
Nawaz Sharif was sent to jail by an accountability court last year after he was found guilty of corrupt practices in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs1.5 billion and $25 million on Nawaz — a total of Rs5bn. A disqualification of 10 years from holding any public office is part of the sentences awarded to the former PM and will come into effect following his release from jail after serving the seven-year sentence.
In September 2017, a probe against Nawaz was launched. He was first convicted and sentenced for 10 years in July last year in a case related to Avenfield properties in London. The Islamabad High Court granted him bail in the case in September. He was later convicted in the Al-Azizia case in December 2018.
