PESHAWAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has rejected the government’s alleged plan to rename Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital Swat and threatened to move court and mobilise people against it.

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar on Sunday, PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam said that renaming of Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital Swat was a part of the agenda prepared for the meeting of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet to be held on Monday (today).

Flanked by PML-N provincial information secretary MPA Ikhtiar Wali Khan, MPA Sobia Khan and other office-bearers, he said that the hospital was built with donations at a time when flash floods badly affected life in Swat. “The hospital’s documentary record is available to prove that it was set up totally through donations and not with government funds,” he claimed.

Amir Muqam warns govt of ‘public wrath’

He said Nawaz Sharif participated in the ground breaking ceremony of the hospital as chief guest and later donated his salaries to the hospital when he became prime minister.

Mr Muqam said that in the past the people of Swat used to travel to other cities for dialysis and the 130-bed hospital was meant to provide a relief to them at their doorsteps. He said that the hospital was established with financial support of Punjab Trust Hospital with an estimated cost of Rs700 million within two years in 2011-12 when Nawaz Sharif was not prime minister.

He said that other PML-N leaders including Ishaq Dar and Shahbaz Sharif also extended full cooperation and donated millions of rupees to the hospital.

He said that Ishaq Dar was not finance minister but he donated Rs50 million from his personal account when he was chairman of the trust.

The PML-N leader said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government should review its decision about renaming the hospital and allocate sufficient funds to ensure proper utilisation of its machinery to start kidney transplant, provide free of cost medicines to the patients and pay timely salaries to the staff.

He said that instead of renaming old projects, the government should fulfil its election manifesto about construction of millions of houses and provision of jobs to people. He added that despite hectic efforts, the rulers failed to produce evidence of corruption against the PML-N leadership.

Mr Muqam said that renaming institutions was a bad habit. He said that Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital should also be renamed as it also built on government land.

“We will raise the issue in and out of the assemblies in addition to taking it to a court of law,” he said and asked the government to review its decision or be prepared for the wrath of people. He said that it was no service to rename old projects as people expected the government to take immediate steps for controlling inflation and joblessness in the country.

Criticising PTI leaders, he said using derogatory language against leaders of opposition parties in public meetings was against political norms.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2021