Daily Times

The major opposition parties – PML-N and PPP – in the National Assembly on Thursday asked the government to shun ‘political victimisation’ of the opposition leaders and don’t repeat the mistakes already committed by those two parties in 1990’s.

Addressing the Lower House, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif complained of political victimisation of the opposition leaders. He said all of PML-N lawmakers are Nawaz Sharif’s guarantors that he will return after medical treatment. “Nawaz Sharif is seriously ill and needs to be treated abroad as per recommendations of the doctors,” he said, and claimed that the government started playing politics on the matter when Nawaz Sharif agreed to fly abroad for his treatment. “Nawaz Sharif was given relief by courts on medical grounds,” he said, adding that the government will be responsible if anything happens to the PML-N supremo.

Commenting on Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem’s statement, Khawaja Asif said the minister had different arguments in Musharraf case and now his version is different. He said Nawaz Sharif is facing a life and death situation but he is still fighting for the dignity of vote, rule of law and supremacy of constitution. He claimed that speeches made by opposition members in parliament are muted by the television channels.

Kh Asif was of the view that the real asset of Nawaz Sharif is his politics and the support of millions of his voters. “Nawaz Sharif was compelled by his mother and other members of his family to go abroad for medical treatment but now other hurdles are being created to stop him,” he said, adding that Nawaz Sharif closed the door to the politics of acrimony and set new democratic traditions. He said the PML-N supremo should be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment.

In his brief remarks, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said he is running the House according to the democratic traditions and for him members of the treasury and opposition are equal.

PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said point-scoring should not be done on the health of Nawaz Sharif. The health of Asif Ali Zardari is also not good and a medical board should be formed to determine his medical condition. MNA Agha Hassan Baloch pointed out that the influential persons with the help of administration are occupying lands of people in different districts of Balochistan. He supported a demand made by the opposition that their leaders should be given proper medical facilities.

Responding to speeches made by the PML-N and PPP leaders, Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed strongly criticised the past rulers, saying that questioning the condition of a common man is worthless as the previous rulers failed to even construct a single hospital in the last 35 years to get proper medical treatment. He said the central characters of money laundering scandal, including former finance minister Ishaq Dar, son-in-law of Shehbaz Sharif, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, are absconding. “We wished for giving respect to vote but I personally prefer to give respect to the voter who is deprived of food, job and education,” he said.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan has stopped his ministers from running politics on anyone’s health condition. Pointing towards the PML-N leaders, Saeed questioned whether they are preferring the improvement of health of Nawaz Sharif or the money. He asked them to submit surety bond and the government will let Nawaz Sharif go abroad for treatment. “A person lost his life on the floor of a hospital in Lahore, whereas people are dying of rabies due to shortage of vaccines in Sindh. A common man is seeking answers from the past rulers over neglecting healthcare facilities in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, two bills were laid before the House. These included: Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Interest on Private Loans Bill, 2019, and The Control of Narcotics Substances Amendment Bill, 2019.