Sh Rashid says Shahbaz will again flee country

LAHORE: Railways Minister Sh Rashid claimed that PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif, who returned from London on Sunday, would ‘flee’ the country again.

Talking to the media on Sunday after inaugurating newly-constructed waiting hall at the Lahore Railway Station, he said Shahbaz was here only to put on a show. About protest campaign by the opposition, he said, “They don’t have the complete recipe for this”.

He said no one would arrest Shahbaz as he would be taking refuge on the pretext of attending National Assembly session on budget as the Leader of the Opposition. Holding the former rulers responsible for the prevailing crisis, he said we do admit that there’s been inflation and hike in electricity and gas prices. He also came hard on subsidy to sugar mills in Punjab. The minister said the past government did not spend a penny on railway stations instead remained busy in earning commissions through deals. He also said Pakistan Railways would be spending Rs120 million on the installation of lifts and stairs at the Lahore Railway Stations so that elderly people could easily access trains on different platforms. He said the newly-constructed waiting hall had the capacity to accommodate 250 passengers.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Saturday said Shahbaz Sharif turned two weeks relief, given by the court, into two months holiday.

In a series of tweets, Dr Awan hoped that the opposition leader would face the cases registered against him. "I hope the opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif will face cases and appear before the court regularly after return from London."

She added, "Shahbaz Sharif had been spotted swiftly roaming around in the streets of London and it did not seem that he had any health issue. I hope that now he will not go abroad and attend the courts regularly."

Dr Firdous said during his stay in London, Shahbaz made strenuous efforts to get an NRO (National Reconciliation Order). She said it would have been better had Shahbaz Sharif brought along with him Ishaq Dar, his son and son-in-law to Pakistan.

She said the nation wanted to know why the other members of the Sharif family did not return to Pakistan. She asked Shahbaz Sharif to show courage and sincerity with the nation and face the cases registered by NAB against him.