LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said nothing could be more catastrophic than an enormous hike in petroleum products’ prices.
Speaking to the media outside an accountability court in Lahore, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had failed to deliver. “The more PTI remains in power, the more the economy will suffer,” he declared.
He said the government had completely failed to control the dengue epidemic. “We will come out on the roads against price hike,” he said.
“Despite the fact that inflation in the country is already at its peak, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been pressing the government to levy more taxes on the public,” he regretted.
The court adjourned the hearing of three cases against Sharif and his son and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz in money laundering, Ashiana Housing Scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills references until November 5.
Speaking on the occasion, Sharif counsel said there was difficulty in noting down the witnesses’ accounts due to the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.
Explaining his point, he said under the ordinance, it is now mandatory to record the audio as well as make the video of a witness while he was recording his statement, while there was no such arrangement in the courts as yet.
“It is not yet clear whether the witnesses’ accounts will be jotted down on a piece of paper or will they be recorded,” he said.
Sharif requested the court since he had to leave for Islamabad to attend the Assembly session, he be excused.
The court asked the NAB prosecutor to submit his response in the case on the next date of hearing, particularly with reference to the difficulties in recording witnesses’ accounts as pointed out by the lawyer for the defence.
Strict security measures were put in place inside as well as outside the court, while a large number of PML-N activists were also present outside the court to welcome Sharif and his son.
