MINGORA, Nov 2: A former provincial minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Malik Jahanzeb, has criticized the government for not allowing Mian Nawaz Sharif to attend the last rites of Mian Sharif. Such policies, he said, were bad omen for the country.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, he regretted that the government had prevented many sympathizers to attend the funeral of Mian Sharif and they were forced to return without meeting the bereaved family.

Malik Jahanzeb expressed resentment over the imprisonment of party's senior leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and said he had been victimized for the simple reason that he was fighting for the restoration of democracy in the country.

He called upon the rulers to step down and hold elections so that democracy could be restored in a true sense.