Kulsoom's ailment shouldn't be used to blackmail people: Imran

Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan Thursday blamed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for projecting his wife's ailment as a tool to emotionally blackmail the people ahead of general election to be held on July 25.
Talking to journalists at the residence of ex-Senator Zafar Ali Shah of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who joined PTI, Khan said: "All our prayers are with Kulsoom Nawaz. My mother also had cancer and I took her abroad for treatment. But this does not mean that this should be used to emotionally blackmail the masses. You didn't remember Kulsoom Nawaz when she was undergoing treatment in UK and you [Sharif] were holding political gatherings across the country."
Imran was commenting on an application moved with the accountability court by Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, requesting that the date of announcement of the verdict in Avenfield reference should be pushed ahead as they will not be able to attend July 6 hearing because they are in London to look after Kulsoom.
"Nawaz Sharif you will read this [Avenfield reference] verdict in newspapers and Adiala jail is waiting for you," Imran added.
Khan also questioned the basis on which Sharifs had moved the request and asked: "Whether the same facility is available to a common man." He added that the nations where law is different for the rich and the poor get destroyed.
Welcoming Shah into the party fold, he said he hoped the former senator would raise his voice if he sees PTI leadership engaging in any sort of financial corruption just like he had raised his voice against Nawaz Sharif.
Khan added that Shah's inclusion in the party will strengthen it in NA-53. The PTI chief said that he still remembered how Shah had defeated him from Islamabad in 1997 elections.
"Now, Imran Khan is my chief," Shah said while greeting Khan at his residence. "The whole country stands by Imran," he added. "I want to fulfill my role as a politician...the country needs a leader like Imran and Imran has destroyed several corruption deities within the nation," he added.
Shah's relations with PML-N leadership turned sour during the local bodies' election of November 2015. The former senator wanted to become mayor of Islamabad and contested election from a union council. However, some PML-N leaders supported an independent candidate who won the election and then joined PML-N.