LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet has accorded approval to release the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz on parole for five days, to enable them to attend funeral of Begum Shamim Akhtar who died in London.
The Home Department has obtained approval through circulation, as the provincial cabinet was not in session. Both would be released from the Kot Lakhpat prison after the body of Shamim Akhtar arrived from London, it has been learnt.
PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb alleged that the PTI government was continuing with the practice of political victimisation as the two imprisoned party leaders had not been released on parole despite the passage of two days.
Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said that decision on parole application of Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz will be taken after confirmation of arrival date of Begum Shamim Akhtar's body. Fayyaz said in a video statement that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was released on parole for 12 days on death of his wife Kulsoom Nawaz. He further said that Deputy Commissioner (DC) can grant parole for only 12 hours while the provincial government is authorized to take decision regarding extended release. However, he assured that the government will facilitate Shehbaz and Hamza in every aspect and both will be able to attend funeral prayers and the last rituals of Begum Shamim.
Talking to media, the PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb warned that the country's economy would tumble further if the PTI remained in power anymore. She said the opposition alliance-PDM was going to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan from power. Rejecting the government's claims about revival of the economy, she said the soaring inflation is hitting the common people hard.
Terming the State Bank's recent report as a charge sheet against the Imran-led government, she said, "Mr Imran! Read the State Bank report which is a dossier of your incompetence and ineptness." She claimed that the State Bank showed that the PTI government had already destroyed the economy before the coronavirus pandemic. "You are making a failed attempt to hide behind the PDM over the destruction of the economy," she said.
She further said the GDP growth rate had slid from 5.8 percent (in the PML-N tenure) to -0.4 percent. About the alarming rise in food inflation, she said the 14.6 percent increase in cities and 16.4pc hike in rural areas had made the lives of the people of low-income groups miserable.
Citing the increase in debt and reduced revenue collection among other failures, she said about 2.5 million people had already been rendered jobless under the PTI government. She said the government has failed in every department.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020