Punjab govt takes dig at Shahbaz Sharif; says facilities in jails similar to given during PML-N govt

Pakistan's Punjab province government said today that it was providing facilities to prisoners similar to what was given during the previous government, a day after former chief minister and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif complained that his elder brother Nawaz Sharif has been kept in "abysmal conditions" in Adiala jail and uses a "dirty" washroom.

In a letter to caretaker chief minister of Punjab Hasan Askari Rizvi, Shahbaz yesterday said that Nawaz Sharif was not even given a newspaper to read, his mattress was on the floor and the washroom at his disposal was in a dirty despicable condition.

Responding to his letter, the caretaker government said today it was only continuing the facilities which were provided by the previous government to the prisoners, Urdu language daily Jang reported, citing its sources.

"The caretaker government is providing same washrooms to prisoners which were provided during the previous government," the letter said, taking a dig at the PML-N government led by Shahbaz, who ruled the province from June 2013 to June 2018.

Caretaker Punjab Law minister Zia Haider Rizvi said the government is providing better facilities to prisoners as compared to the previous government.

"If washroom in jails are in despicable condition, the previous government should have worked to improve its condition," Rizvi said.

Sharif, 68, and his daughter Maryam, 44, were arrested in Lahore on July 13 on their arrival from London after an accountability court found them guilty over his family's ownership of four luxury flats in London. They were later taken to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Both Sharif and Maryam have been sentenced by an accountability court to 10 and 7 years in prison respectively for corruption charges linked to Panama Papers scandal.

Sharif, a three-time prime minister, has been one of the country's leading politicians for most of the past 30 years. He remains popular, especially in Punjab, the most populous and electorally significant province.