Removing AC from Nawaz’s cell 'direct attack' on his life: Shehbaz

PML-N president hopes Punjab chief secretary is aware of ‘extreme consequences of this step’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has said the government’s move to deprive incarcerated prime minister Nawaz Sharif of air-conditioning at his prison cell is a direct attack on his life.

In a letter written to Punjab Chief Secretary, the former chief minister said the decision, which would likely put his elder brother’s life at risk, was against the recommendations of provincial government’s own medical board.

Last week, the Punjab government had asked the inspector general prison to remove air conditioner (AC) from Nawaz’s prison cell. A letter written by the home department to the inspector general prison on July 17 read, “The following directions of Prime Minister have been intimated for implementation and report ‘No preferential treatment be given to the criminals and money launderers in the prison in Punjab’.”

Punjab asks IG prison to remove AC from Nawaz’s cell

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his address to Pakistani community in the US on Sunday, had announced to withdraw the facilities of AC and LCDs from jailed politicians including Nawaz Sharif, who is in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail, as well as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Shehbaz, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, said that one of the most critical advices of the medical board was that Nawaz must be kept in a room with moderate to cool temperature. “The board had warned that failure to do so could result in a total failure of his kidneys,” he added.

The PML-N president said that there was no prior notice given to anyone regarding this, adding that he was “shocked at the apathy, inhumanity and insensitivity of the Ministry of Interior’, which totally ignored such a critical issue under such a clear recommendations of the board”.

Shehbaz said he hoped that the chief secretary is aware of the ‘extreme consequences of this step’. He said the basic constitutional and legal human rights of the three-time prime minister are being snatched in to mount more pressure on him to kneel before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime.

Ex-PM Nawaz's adviser Irfan Siddiqui sent on 14-day judicial remand

Copies of the letter were also sent to the chief justice of Pakistan, Lahore High Court chief justice and the IG Prisons.

On Wednesday, Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the incarcerated prime minister, had told reporters that a team of doctors that examined Nawaz on July 3, advised in their report that his room temperature should be maintained at a comfortable level to prevent dehydration and possible deterioration of his renal function.

“Even the team of doctors they [government] put together for Nawaz Sharif advised a comfortable room temperature but our prime minister goes to America and announces that he will take away the facility of AC from Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif,” she said.

The PML-N vice-president also claimed that last week on Wednesday, the electricity supply to Nawaz Sharif’s cell remained disconnected for 17 hours. She said the move showed ‘shallowness’ of the prime minister.

Maryam said she suspects a dangerous international conspiracy behind mistreating of the PML-N supreme leader. “That is why I am going to take the matter to court,” she said.