GUJRAT: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to arrive at Lalamusa on Aug 19 and will visit the residence of a boy, Hamid Chughtai, who died last Friday after being hit by a protocol vehicle in the ex-premier’s cavalcade during his journey from Islamabad to Lahore.

According to sources, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif may also accompany his brother on the occasion.

However, the sources said, the local administration and police had suggested postponement of the visit till arrest of the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident that caused embarrassment to the PML-N leadership.

A source told Dawn that the local police and administration had made repeated requests to the staff of Nawaz Sharif for custody of the driver and the vehicle (SS 875) for investigation into the case.

But, the source said, the staff of Mr Sharif had so far been showing reluctance to surrender the driver as well as the vehicle despite intervention by the Punjab government in favor of police demand.

The sources said the chief minister had also conveyed a message to the ex-premier’s staff asking them to surrender the driver and the vehicle but to no avail so far.

A police party led by a senior official of Gujrat police had also visited a senior security officer of Nawaz Sharif on Saturday the last seeking arrest of the driver but returned empty handed.

The Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), under which the case was registered, declares the offence bailable and even the station house officer of the concerned police can release the suspect on personal surety.

An official, wondering why delaying tactics are being used in surrendering the suspect and the vehicle responsible for the death of the nine year old to police, asked what would be Mr Sharif’s response if the boy’s parents inquired about any legal action taken against the driver during his visit to Hamid’s house.

“That is why it had been conveyed to the concerned quarters that the visit should be delay at least till the suspect’s custody issue was resolved,” he added.

A PML-N MPA, Mian Tariq, of Dinga, however, dispelled the chances of any questions being raised by the deceased boy’s parents during the visit, putting the Sharifs in an awkward situation.

He said the Sharifs were coming to Lalamusa on a scheduled visit and they had already announced they would also visit the deceased boy’s house where they would express their sympathy for the family.

The MPA said that he, along with Punjab local bodies minister Mansha Ullah Butt, had met with the parents of Hamid a few days ago and handed them over a Rs2 million cheque on behalf of Punjab chief minister for their financial assistance. The family had accepted the cheque, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017