RAWALPINDI: Sardar Latif Khosa, former Punjab governor and counsel for PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, on Monday regretted that despite court orders, the former president was not being provided facilities of air conditioner, fridge and personal attendant in jail.

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Sardar Khosa, Shahbaz Khosa and Shazia Khosa met the former president in Adiala iail on Monday.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Sardar Khosa warned the government that if anything happened to Mr Zardari in prison, then the PPP would take action against the PTI government and punish it like never before.

Media Coordinator Nazir Dhoki accompanied him during the press conference.

Mr Khosa said that the life of Mr Zardari was in danger because he needed medical facilities but the government was denying him those.

Khosa warns legal action will be initiated against government if anything happens to ex-president

“The government is not providing him an air conditioner, fridge and personal attendant despite the court order. This kind of treatment is not meted out even in dictatorship,” he said. He added that the situation was so grave that the assistant commissioners were saying that they were helpless and could not arrange a meeting of lawyers with the former president.

“Everyday the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) delivers a ‘love letter’ to the former president and asks for answers to a few questions but does not provide basic facilities which a patient requires and the court has clear orders in this regard,” Mr Khosa added. He said that Mr Zardari had been kept in NAB’s custody for 68 days and after that he was shifted to prison.

He said that Mr Zardari was a former president and a sitting Member of the National Assembly and had the right to have a fridge in his room for keeping medicine and a 24-hour attendant.

He said that a heart specialist had on record said that it might be dangerous if an AC was not provided to Mr Zardari and that a medical board of five doctors had advised to keep him in hospital for treatment but he was only brought in for a day.

Mr Khosa categorically denied media reports that Mr Zardari had agreed to return any money.

“That was a false and concocted news story. We do not have any ill-gotten money so the question does not arise,” said Mr Khosa. He added that political victimisation was apparent because there was no case whatsoever.

Earlier, Ms Bhutto-Zardari was not allowed to meet her father in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and the former president was shifted to Adiala jail. She claimed that three of her father’s arteries were completely blocked and he was also suffering from severe spinal issues and other ailments.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2019