Any harm to Nawaz would be considered murder: Khursheed

SUKKUR: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah has said if anything adverse happened to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, it would be considered a “murder” and the government would be responsible for it.Speaking to media here Sunday, Khursheed Shah expressed concern over Nawaz’s deteriorating health and urged the people to pray for the health and well-being of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) quaid.

“The prime minister is (responsible) for the entire country, not just a political party. Imran Khan has not regarded himself as a prime minister yet. He’s still doing ‘container’ politics,” the PPP leader said.

Nawaz has been imprisoned at Kot Lakhpat Jail since December 2018 following his conviction in a corruption reference in line with the Supreme Court’s July 2017 verdict. According to his family, his health is deteriorating and he was denied medical treatment by doctors at the Services Hospital, PIC and Jinnah Hospital.

Prime Minister Imran Khan a day earlier instructed Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to ensure that every health facility in the country is made available for Nawaz to get the treatment of his choice.

“Our politics is not of verbal abuses. We have seen many ups and downs, we have never talked about power, we have always talked about the public,” Khursheed Shah said. He said it was unfortunate that PM Imran was “still not ready to climb down from the container.”

On PM’s criticism of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari delivering his speech in the Parliament in English language, Khursheed Shah said, “Quaid-i-Azam used to deliver his speeches in English, yet the entire nation stood with his every word.”

Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the PML-N was doing politics over Nawaz Sharif’s health as they don’t have any public issue to highlight to the people.

“We have asked him several times to tell us the doctor he wants but he said that he wants to go to London. That’s not acceptable,” he said in a rally in Jhelum. Fawad Chaudhry while responding to the statement of Khursheed Shah said he is not worried about Nawaz Sharif. “You are concerned about yourself being sent to jail," the minister retorted, addressing Khursheed Shah. He alleged that the "misdeeds" committed by the PPP leader were before everyone to see. The minister appreciated the role of people of Jhelum in safeguarding the territorial sovereignty of the country.

“Today the international community is making fun of India. They used to say that we will beat you inside your country. We have let them know that their desire is nothing but a daydream,” said Fawad Chaudhry.

The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has always condemned all forms of terrorism, and has reiterated that if the India takes a step towards peace, Pakistan will take two. “Today the US media is saying that the Pakistani premier should get the peace prize. This is a respect for Pakistan. But a few people made fun of it in the assembly as they don’t have respect for any institution,” he said. The minister said that there is no disagreement between the government and opposition except the fact that the government is protecting every single penny of the government exchequer.