There were no political prisoners during PML-N tenure: Shehbaz

Ex-PM criticises Bilawal's promises and advises him to address alleged mistreatment in Sindh’s private prisons

Former prime minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif, has claimed that during the tenure of the PML-N government from 2013 to 2018, there were no political prisoners in Punjab and Islamabad.

Speaking at a rally in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, Shehbaz highlighted the tumultuous events following Nawaz Sharif's majority win in 2013. He recalled the onset of sit-ins and the subsequent termination of his elder brother's government in 2017, attributing it to conspiracy.

چند دن پہلے ایک مہربان نے کہا کہ اگر ہمیں حکومت ملی تو تمام سیاسی قیدیوں کو رہا کردیں گے میں مہربان کو بتانا چاہتا ہوں کہ نوازشریف کے دور میں کوئی سیاسی قیدی نہیں تھا یہ ہمارا ریکارڈ ہے۔

منڈی بہاؤالدین میں عوامی اجتماع سے خطاب۔#ShehbazinMBD pic.twitter.com/iKjbuG0fU0

— PMLN (@pmln_org) January 25, 2024

The PML-N president stressed their efforts in alleviating load shedding and initiating numerous projects such as the Motorway and Danish School.

Reflecting on the historic significance of Pakistan's Independence Day in 2014, Shehbaz referenced PTI founder Imran Khan’s nationwide long march against Pakistan and Nawaz Sharif.

Read also: Bilawal vows to end political imprisonment

He lamented the verbal abuse, sit-ins, discussions of parliament arson, and the cancellation of the Chinese president's visit, stressing that the nation still vividly remembers these events.

Moreover, Shehbaz criticised Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), for promising to release political prisoners if his party comes into power.

Shehbaz urged Bilawal to also address issues related to alleged private prisons where individuals, including children, are purportedly mistreated and detained in Sindh, where the latter’s PPP rules.