RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday celebrated Independence Day in Adiala jail with other inmates.

“Three cakes weighing 10 pounds each were brought to the jail and the former premier paid for them,” said a jail official.

At the request of some inmates, Mr Sharif cut a cake and made a brief speech, he added.

Mr Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar were present at the event. Ms Maryam informed women inmates about the progress the country made during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.

According to the official, the jail inmates took interest when the former prime minister told them about events leading to his government’s decision about conducting nuclear tests in 1998. He said Mr Sharif had also spoken about his family’s struggle after the independence of the country.

Meanwhile, Mr Sharif has expr­essed the resolve to initiate a programme for providing higher education to prisoners in jails across the country, according to a senior PML-N leader.

“In this regard, the Islamic International University’s help will be required,” he told Dawn. There was a plan to provide postgraduate education to interested prisoners and classes for it would be organised inside jails, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....
Battling hate
Updated 15 Mar, 2026

Battling hate

In the current scenario, geopolitical conflict, racial prejudice and religious bigotry all contribute to the threats Muslims face.
TB drugs shortage
15 Mar, 2026

TB drugs shortage

‘CRIMINAL negligence’ is the phrase that jumps to mind when one considers the disturbing consequences of the...
Chinese diplomacy
Updated 14 Mar, 2026

Chinese diplomacy

THERE are signs that China is taking a more active role in trying to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism...