RAWALPINDI: PML-N stalwart Javed Hashmi was denied a meeting with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz by the administration of Adiala jail on Monday.

After the refusal, Mr Hashmi said the three-time prime minister was targeted and convicted for doing nothing. All of Pakistan’s prime ministers had met the same fate, whether they had been sent to the gallows or exiled, he said.

He said he knew the jail procedure because he had spent many years in prison, particularly in Adiala jail.

“I met people in Adiala jail five days a week, but a ban was imposed on meetings with Nawaz Sharif. This is condemnable,” he said.

“Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif asked workers to pay attention to the elections, as it would be revenge for their miseries,” he said, adding that election candidates would run their campaigns.

Calling the July 13 welcome rally for Sharif ‘historic’, he said he had not seen thousands of people gather despite all odds in his political life.

“All the roads were closed by containers and the deployment of law enforcement agencies, but people came out of their homes to welcome Nawaz Sharif,” he said.

He said Gen Pervez Musharraf would not be convicted in any case because the rules were different for civilians and dictators.

“If the cases had been registered against a civilian ruler, the decision would be made immediately,” he said.

Mr Hashmi said he would come to meet with Sharif againonThursday.

The prison administration has not cited any reason for denying PML-N leaders permission to meet with Sharif.

Alsoon Monday, PML-N workers, police and the jail administration argued when party leaders and workers gathered outside Adiala jail. The jail administration allegedly misbehaved with women workers of the party.

A large number of workers, as well as former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem and former MPAs Zaibunnisa and Lubna Rehan visited Adiala jail to express solidarity with Sharif, Maryam and Maryam’s husband Capt Mohammad Safdar.

Mr Naseem told Dawn the jail administration and police had stopped workers from placing flowers outside the prison.

“Some policemen stopped the workers, but the workers were very emotional and they placed the flowers and chanted slogans in favour of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and bibi Maryam Nawaz,” he said.

He said the workers did not break the law and only wanted to express solidarity with Sharif, Maryam and Safdar.

Speaking to the press outside the jail, former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said corruption allegations of even a penny could not be proved against Sharif.

Ms Aurangzeb said Sharif’s narrative was that of every Pakistani and the PML-N was united under the leadership of Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.

She also argued with security personnel after she was stopped from meeting with Sharif and Maryam.

Ms Auranbzeb said people had rejected the politics of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), as there were empty seats at PTI public meetings in Sargodha, Sialkot and JhangonSunday.

Published in Dawn, July 17th , 2018