News Desk |
It seems the incarcerated ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif will have to serve the remaining period of his sentence without an air conditioner as Punjab government has directed the Inspector General of Prison to remove AC from Sharif’s prison cell.
The move is connected with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the Pakistani community in the US where he announced to withdraw the facilities of AC and LCDs from jailed politicians including Sharif, who is in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail, as well as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who is in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.
No more AC & TV for Zardari and Sharif in Jail – Imran Khan pic.twitter.com/SJ8QXzCWUs
— Siasat.pk (@siasatpk) July 22, 2019
On July 17, The Express Tribune reported, the Punjab Home Department has sent a letter to the IG prison saying: “the following directions of Prime Minister have been intimated for implementation and report ‘No preferential treatment be given to the criminals and money launders in the prison in Punjab’.”
Maryam Bibi will make a lot of noise but there’s a simple way to get out of jail, he said: “give back the money.”
The letter asks IG prison to take necessary action in the matter immediately and send a report in three days. Interestingly, the paper stated, the letter titled “Prime Minister’s visit to Lahore on 19.6.19” carries many typos such as “Prime Minister Punjab” and “Services and General Administration Department Lahore”.
While referring to another letter sent on July 12, the paper said, it was mentioned that information regarding the implementation of four directives of the prime minister were still awaited.
The letter carried PM Khan’s directions for Punjab government not to provide any preferential treatment to criminal and money launders in prison of Punjab, while simultaneously directing to take action against child pornographers, child molesters and fake encounters by police.
Read more: Opposition will be united in Jail: Imran Khan in Washington
However, the paper claimed, the above letters show that long before the announcement, the PM had already instructed authorities to withdraw these facilities. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has said that the move would be equivalent to putting Sharif’s life in danger.
PM Khan Says no More AC, TV for Sharif in Jail
While addressing a rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC on July 21, PM Khan had said that the opposition will have to return the money they stole from the country no matter what happens.
The premier as quoted by SAMAA had said that Nawaz Sharif asks for food, an air conditioner and TV facilities in jail, adding that about 80% of Pakistan doesn’t have an AC and 70% doesn’t have a TV. PM Khan quipped that half the public would gladly go to jail if they got these facilities.
If you get everything in jail then where’s the punishment, he had asked. “When I go back to Pakistan, I am ending these facilities,” he promised. Maryam Bibi will make a lot of noise but there’s a simple way to get out of jail, he said: “give back the money.”
Read more: Zardari responds to PM Khan’s statement on jail facilities
He said the former president Asif Ali Zardari goes to jail and then straight to the hospital. “Now we’ll keep Zardari in jail but without the air conditioner or TV,” the TV channel’s website quoted him as saying. It’s very easy to get out of jail, give the money back, he reiterated.