ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that his elder brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is unwell and if any harm is caused to him then the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan will be responsible.
“Nawaz Sharif underwent heart surgery one year back. The man remained prime minister of the country for three terms. He has given everything to the country; now he is a heart patient and the government is not providing him treatment which constitutes to criminal negligence. They are not taking his health problems seriously. The PM and his government will be responsible if anything happens to him,” said Shehbaz while talking to reporters after appearing in the accountability court.
On a side note, he said that perks and privileges announced for the Punjab chief minister are beyond comprehension.
“When I was the Punjab chief minister I used my personal car for 10 years . I did not spend money out of the national kitty on my treatment. During my 10-year tenure as chief minister, I did not receive a single penny on account of my salary. I met all my expenses out of my pocket.”
In response to these allegation, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Omar Sarfraz Cheema said that the Sharif family has put all focus on politicising Nawaz Sharif’s ailment.
Cheema rejected Shehbaz’s allegations, calling them ‘baseless and condemable’ and said”It doesn’t seem as per their words that Sharif family is serious about the treatment of Nawaz Sharif. They will be solely responsible if, God forbid, something happens to [the former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif.”
Continuing his criticism against Sharifs, he added, “Instead of exhibiting seriousness, their efforts are for blackmailing the government.”
He reiterated that Nawaz Sharif was given facilities to continue treatment of his own choice when millions [in this country] cannot avail the facility.The PTI leader said that Sharif was a convicted criminal. He added that the government was not authorised to allow a prisoner to move abroad. “If a picnic in London can better health conditions, then the court should be convinced,” Cheema said sarcastically.
Back in January, incarcerated former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, after being convicted in the Al-Azizia Reference, fell sick under captivity in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. He was sentenced after a series of three court cases against the Sharif family were concluded in the high-profile Panama Papers case. Jail authorities maintain that Nawaz’s heath is checked on a regular basis whereas he is also taking his medicines timely.
