Daily Times

Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz on Monday slammed the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over induction of Azam Swati into Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet despite “being disqualified by the apex court”.

Talking to the media outside the accountability court where he appeared in connection with the hearing of a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case, he termed the recent reshuffle in the federal cabinet “a drama”.

The PML-N leader said it was time for the prime minister to fulfil the promises he had made to the people of the country. He said the people had become sick of soaring inflation, but the PTI was busy defending its government, and predicted that a storm of inflation could consume the people in the days to come. Hamza said the people running the government were incompetent and that the government lacked a roadmap to steer the country out of the present situation.

He lamented that prices of essential commodities and medicines had soared by 100 percent since the PTI assumed power last year in August.

Meanwhile, an accountability court in Lahore adjourned the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana-e-Iqbal housing society cases until May 11 due to absence of the judge scheduled to conduct the hearing.

The court was due to hear the Ashiana case against Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, and the Ramzan Sugar Mills case against his son, Hamza Shahbaz. The cases, however, could not be heard as the judge was on leave.

The accountability court had earlier accepted an application by Shehbaz seeking exemption from personal appearance for a day. The PML-N president had submitted the application through his counsel Amjad Pervaiz, who had asked the court to grant his client exemption from court proceedings until May 8, as he was abroad for medical treatment.

Hamza Shahbaz appeared before the court on Monday, while his security guards were stopped from entering the court.

The two Sharifs were indicted in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case earlier this month. The NAB in February had filed a reference against them, alleging that the former chief minister of Punjab misused his authority by using public funds for the construction of a bridge to facilitate the sugar mill owned by his sons. The PML-N president was earlier indicted in the Ashiana case.