LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has expressed his doubt over Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif’s claim about being infected by coronavirus and demanded that his tests be conducted from private and public sector labs.

He said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also demanded Mr Sharif’s re-test to determine whether he had been tested coronavirus positive or not.

Mr Sharif had appeared before the NAB investigators at bureau’s Lahore office on Tuesday and later announced on Thursday that he had been tested positive. Soon after the announcement, the PML-N leaders and spokesmen started alleging that Mr Sharif contracted the virus after his appearance before the NAB Lahore. They said the NAB was informed multiple times in writing that Shahbaz was a cancer survivor with weak immunity, therefore, he should be allowed to record his statement through a video-link but the anti-graft body did not care and it endangered his life by summoning him at its office.

The PML-N spokesperson also alleged that no precautions regarding social distancing were observed during Shahbaz’s appearance before the NAB in the money laundering and income-beyond-means investigations.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Chohan said opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif could not be trusted as he had also told a lie in parliament and later stated that it was politics. He said the NAB officials had ensured all measures and adopted SOPs including safe social distance to ensure that coronavirus might not affect the accused.

Mr Chohan said Sharif’s re-test should be conducted at a government lab as well as at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital or Aga Khan Lab.

“If Mr Sharif is again tested positive, he should quarantine himself for 14 days,” he said.

After being recovered, the information minister said the opposition leader in National Assembly should fulfill his promise and fight against coronavirus by visiting hospitals and other facilities to provide relief to the masses from Khyber to Karachi.

“Those who test positive and recover need not fear the virus and come out to help all citizens of Pakistan,” he asked Mr Sharif.

He said Mr Sharif should also bravely join investigation to prove his innocence in the cases.

The minister also condemned the PML-N spokesmen for holding Prime Minister Imran Khan responsible, if Shahbaz Sharif’s health conditions worsened. He said the PML-N leadership itself was responsible for any slackness as they tweeted and asked their workers to reach NAB offices in thousands and give a warm welcome to their leader facing NAB inquiries.

“Though only about 100 workers reached the NAB offices, they posed threat to Mr Sharif,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2020