Leaders from other countries some time suffer from illnesses and that is completely normal. What is not normal is traveling to a foreign country for treatment at the state’s expense and leaving the running of a country of 180 million to his daughter without any consultation.

Not to be forgotten is the otherwise career-ending revelation that was Panama leaks to which Nawaz Sharif’s only response was a whiny reminder that his businesses had faced great hardships and provided thousands of jobs. He did provide employment. It would have been very hard for him and his children to make billions of rupees through private businesses in Pakistan and abroad and invest all the money in London if he hadn’t provided jobs to the poor people.

Furthermore, when a prime minister is physically unfit to carry out his duties, democracy states that a caretaker prime minister be appointed. Nawaz Sharif states otherwise, and instead his daughter takes over. On what grounds? It is not only the right but the duty of the public and journalists to criticise abuse of power.

Hassan Kamal Wattoo

Lahore

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2016