F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said that “there was an outpouring of press conferences immediately after writing a letter to London”.
She was referring to a letter the government wrote to authorities in the United Kingdom for the repatriation of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who it alleged violated the eight-week bail by staying in London for medical treatment for the past three-and-a-half months.
The SAPM made these remarks while speaking at a press conference outside the parliament on Wednesday.
“We sent the letter to London but even people from Australia returned … the letter was so effective that the PML-N has started updating the nation about Nawaz’s health.”
She added that the “taunts the government is receiving over [Nawaz’s] health, it is actually the PML-N that is playing politics over it”.
Raising questions about the former premier’s health, Awan said that the PML-N has not submitted “any document about any procedure or investigation or documents made when he was admitted to the hospital and discharged from it.”
“If his condition is as critical as [the PML-N] says it is, then he should be in the hospital, not resting at home with his family and relatives.”
“Scientists around the world have not been able to come up with a cure for what illness [Nawaz] has … the treatment he is receiving at home should be shared with all the cardiology hospitals in Pakistan so that the poor people can also benefit from such a cure for their heart ailments,” she said.
Musadiq Malik says government is misstating facts
Meanwhile, during a press conference earlier today, PML-N leader Musadiq Malik said that the government is “misstating facts” regarding Nawaz’s health.
“It was the government that took the decision about Nawaz’s board … it was the board that decided to send Nawaz abroad for treatment. This was the government’s decision and now they are misstating facts,” he said.
He added that doctors from London and America have examined the former premier and “all arrangements are being made before his next surgery”.
Referring to a statement made by the party chief earlier this month that Nawaz’s treatment has been delayed twice because his daughter was not granted bail to be with him, Malik said, “it is our wish that surgery not be delayed if we do not get justice”.
“The government spokesperson says that we haven’t submitted [Nawaz’s] reports. We have submitted reports to the Lahore High Court (LHC), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Punjab government on December 4, Dec 21, January 13 and February 12.”
PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar, while addressing the same press conference termed the government’s letter to UK authorities “illegal”.
“The LHC’s bail is still continuing, the IHC gave bail on medical grounds … all their steps are illegal.”
Malik added that the leader of the opposition would be returning soon and dates for Nawaz’s surgery were being finalised.
