LAHORE – An accountability court has ordered the government to provide facilities in jail to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif he is entitled to get as Leader of opposition in National Assembly.
The orders come days after Prime Minister Imran Khan at Tiger Forcer convention vowed that political leaders of opposition will now get no VIP jail and they will be put in ordinary jails.
Accountability judge Jawadul Hassan issued the orders after the PML-N leader, who is in jail following his arrest in a money laundering case, moved the court seeking resumption of facilities.
The government has been asked to provide him chair, table, bed and allow him food from home.
Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, a counsel for Shehbaz Sharif, said that jail authorities withdrew the facilities on orders of the government despite the entitlement.
Seeking order for resumption of facilities, he said that his client was suffering from various health issues, adding that despite the illness he has been deprived of home-cooked food and detained at ordinary cell in Kot Lakhpat jail.
Following the arguments, the court ordered the authorities to provide the inmate facilities under the law.
On Oct 18, the prime minister while addressing the convention said that the kind of Imran Khan the opposition will see now would be different.
He said that no political prisoner will get a VIP jail and will be kept in an ordinary jail, adding that no thief will be allowed to attend assembly sessions on production order.
Legal experts are of the view the government will have to amend the laws to fulfil the promise made by the prime minister regarding curbing VIP facilities at jail.
