Maryam warns of going on a hunger strike if Nawaz not allowed homemade food

Published July 8, 2019
Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of incarcerated former premier Nawaz Sharif, has warned that she would go on a hunger strike if the government doesn't allow her father homemade meals in jail. — DawnNewsTV/File
Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of incarcerated former premier Nawaz Sharif, has warned that she would go on a hunger strike if the government doesn't allow her father homemade meals in jail. — DawnNewsTV/File

Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of incarcerated former premier Nawaz Sharif, on Monday warned that she would go on a hunger strike if the government doesn't allow her father homemade meals.

"The fake government has imposed restrictions on homemade meals for Nawaz Sharif. The staff who took his food has been waiting outside the jail for the last five hours," she said via a tweet.

"Mian sahab has refused to eat prison food. If they [the government] do not take back this restriction in the next 24 hours, then I will contact the court."

"If I don't get help from the court, then I will sit outside Kot Lakhpat jail. Even if I have to go on a hunger strike, I will do it," she warned in another tweet.

"I don't trust these oppressors; they can mix anything in Mian sahab's food," she said, adding her warning should not be considered a mere threat and that she would go through with it.

Later in the day, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif also took to Twitter to condemn the restriction on homemade food for Nawaz Sharif.

He said Mian Nawaz Sharif is a heart patient and depriving him of homemade food is a grave oppression. He demanded the government to immediately ensure the provision of home-cooked meals to Nawaz.

Sources told DawnNewsTV that the jail authorities imposed the restriction as per directions of the home department. According to the sources, the former premier will be served food as per the jail menu.

Nawaz Sharif is currently serving seven-year imprisonment in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case in Kot Lakhpat jail.

Last week, Punjab chief minister’s spokesperson Shahbaz Gill had said: "No meal restrictions have been placed on Nawaz Sharif as reported by a section of the media. Even today [July 2], his meal came from his home.”

The Punjab government only suggested forming a doctors’ panel to advise diet chart and provide him a cook for the same, he said.

“Dr Adnan, personal doctor of Nawaz Sharif, meets him regularly but every time misleads everyone on his health issues only to keep his job. This is unfortunate. He is not a cardiologist but the Sharif family keeps insisting on his cardiac expertise, only for propaganda purposes,” he added.

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