Nawaz Sharif is in high spirits, says Maryam following jail visit

PML-N leader thanks party's supporters for 'unflinching support'

“Nawaz Sharif is in high spirits,” said Maryam Nawaz and several other senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders following a meeting with the former prime minister at Kot Lakhpat Jail on Thursday.

From family members, Maryam, Captain (retd) Safdar, Nawaz’s mother Begum Shamim, Hamza Shehbaz and others met him.

Maryam reportedly brought home-cooked food, dry fruit and fruit to the jail for her father.

Just came out of Kotlakhpat jail. MNS was fine and Alhamdolillah in high spirits. Thank you everyone for your prayers, unflinching support & good wishes. God bless you all.

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) January 3, 2019

Soon after leaving, Maryam took to the micro-blogging website to write, “Just came out of Kot Lakhpat Jail. MNS was fine and Alhamdolillah in high spirits. Thank you everyone for your prayers, unflinching support & good wishes. God bless you all.”

She further wrote that she not only relayed to Nawaz the prayers and wishes of his supporters but also told him how his workers were standing strong with him.



Senior leaders who met Nawaz on Thursday included former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer, Saira Afzal Tarar, Khurram Dastagir, Raja Zafarul Haq, Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Ali Pervaiz Malik and Birjees Tahir.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Pervaiz Malik said, “Nawaz is in high spirits.”  Malik quoted Nawaz as saying, “I am not worried about these bogus cases.”

He said that Nawaz was briefed on the economic situation of the country by his son MNA Ali Pervaiz.

He said Nawaz stated that the economic situation of the country was proving them right about the incompetence of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

Talking to the media outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail, former Sindh governor said, Nawaz complained that he was not allowed to leave his barrack due to security concerns. “Is this the reward given to a three-time prime minister for his public service,” Zubair quoted Nawaz as saying.

He said PTI was given an economically stable government with growth rate at 6.0 per cent, inflation rate at less than 5.0 per cent and record tax collection by the PML-N.

He said all they had to do was stabilise the currency, adding that leave alone stabilising the currency, “their bad policies are destroying the entire economy of the country”. “The growth rate has dropped to 3.0 per cent, inflation has increased to over 5.0 per cent and tax collection has decreased,” said Zubair.

He said the government that had promised 10 million jobs, was only making people jobless.

“12,000 workers have been laid off in the auto sector, whereas 50,000 more workers will be laid off in the coming six months if the economic situation remains the same,” he said.

Despite being critical of the government’s economic policies, Zubair defended the selection of his brother Asad Umar as finance minister.

He said Umar was an absolutely perfect choice for the ministry, adding that it was not the job of one man but the entire team to bring about a positive change.

“The biggest problem of this government is that they depend on loans from Saudi Arabia, UAE and China to fix everything instead of bringing reforms to increase the tax base, reduce inflation and bring down interest rates,” he added.