Daily Times

The senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, as well as local human rights bodies, must take notice of allegations made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz Safdar, saying that she is not being allowed to visit her father, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif. To make matters even more serious, Maryam has alleged that even Nawaz’s personal physician is not being allowed to see him. If the latter allegation is true, it possibly contradicts the Punjab governments previous statement which said Sharif would be allowed the medical treatment of his choice as long as it does not involve leaving the country.

The PTI must consider that although it managed to outdo the PML-N in the last general elections in this country, Nawaz Sharif is a three-time Prime Minister and his party still enjoys a great measure of deep-rooted political support in Punjab, the country’s most populous and developed province. Should his health take a turn for the worse, it could result in severe political consequences for the ruling party. It should not be forgotten either that the PTI had previously accused the PML-N and the Sharif family of politicising the declining health of Nawaz’s now deceased wife Kulsoom Nawaz. Her eventual passing showed how callous the PTI had been to make such accusations.

It is necessary that all parties cooperate and make Pakistan’s political arena a more dignified and decent space. Sadly, this isn’t the case. There is another controversy going on right now regarding threatening statements being made against Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto by Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid. Previously, Federal Finance Minister Asad Umar had also made an issue out of Bilawal’s use of English instead of Urdu in the National Assembly, as well as his use of his maternal grandfather’s name. The PTI must rise above such petty games and work with the opposition for the betterment of this country. *

Published in Daily Times, March 20^th 2019.