GUJRAT: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, are due in the city this afternoon (Saturday) from where they will go to the Lalamusa residence of the boy crushed to death by a protocol vehicle of the senior Sharif’s cavalcade on Aug 11, and condole with his parents.

The local administration and police had earlier suggested postponement of the Sharifs’ scheduled visit of Lalamusa till surrendering to police of the driver and vehicle allegedly involved in the killing.

However PML-N MPA Mian Tariq Mahmood claimed he had managed a settlement with the family that had been paid Rs2 million as compensation.

Official sources told Dawn the financial assistance of Rs2 million earlier paid to Hamid Chughtai’s family had actually been given by the ruling party instead of the chief minister or the Punjab government.

Later Sharif brothers to address public rally in Wazirabad

They said the PML-N could likely pay another Rs2 million to Chughtai’s parents besides a permanent government job to his elder sister and bearing all educational expenses of the boy’s elder brother who was said to be a student of matriculation. His sister was awaiting result of her graduation exams.

The police and the administration had started preparing for Sharifs’ visit with Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and acting District Police Officer Maaz Zafar along with senior security officer of Nawaz Sharif on Friday inspecting Lalamusa city’s Rehmatabad area where Chughtai’s family resided.

The senior officials also inspected the site selected for a helipad along the GT road and other security arrangements. Local chapters of opposition parties staged a protest demonstration in Lalamusa on Thursday against the killing of Chughtai and demanded justice for the family.

MPA Mehmood who has been coordinating the Sharifs’ visit to Lalamusa claimed that the issue had almost been resolved as Nawaz and Shahbaz would express grief with the family of the deceased boy.

Meanwhile, after visiting Lalamusa the Sharif brothers will travel to Wazirabad where they are scheduled to address a public rally organised by the local chapter. Nawaz Sharif’s cavalcade on Aug 11 had changed its route and did not enter the city where a large gathering was waiting for him.

Party lawmakers from Wazirabad, MNA Iftikhar Cheema and MPA Shaukat Manzoor Cheema, had lodged a protest against the change of route but successfully persuaded the brothers to visit the city and address a rally on Saturday evening.

The rally will be held at Allahwala Chowk near the overhead bridge linking Wazriabad with Sialkot road. The city had been decorated with publicity posters and portraits of Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2017