More worried about country’s future: Nawaz

LAHORE - PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif has said that he is more worried about future of Pakistan than his health.

In his meeting with PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz said he could nothing but pray for the country. Nawaz thanked people for their love, concern and prayers for his health and said this love and prayers were a source of strength for him.

He said he valued the kind gesture by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of visiting him.

Shehbaz said his worries about Nawaz’s health were multiplying with every meeting after witnessing his rapidly deteriorating health. He said that PTI government was responsible for Nawaz not going to appropriate hospital. The government believed that mere lipservice would exonerate them from responsibility of current medical state of the former prime minister.

Shehbaz said although Nawaz’s health was deteriorating, his was in high spirit than ever and his resolve was getting stronger day by day.

Meanwhile, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has been exonerated from another accusation leveled by the PTI government regarding corruption in the Laptop Scheme.

The Higher Education Department (HED), in a report submitted to the Punjab Assembly, said that there was no embezzlement of funds in the laptop scheme.

A thorough investigation was done over allegations of massive corruption and kickbacks in the laptop scheme introduced by Shehbaz Sharif during his tenure as the Punjab chief minister.

The HED report ruled out any misappropriation, embezzlement of funds or kickback in the scheme. It said that laptops were procured in accordance with the Punjab Procurement Rules 2014. It ascertained that the lowest bidder was awarded the contract for the supply of laptops for Punjab government. The report also dismissed the allegation of thousands of laptops going missing during the scheme.

An inquiry was launched in March 2018 by National Accountability Bureau’s Lahore office into the scheme.

PML-N government had distributed 4,14,848 laptops from 2012 to 2017. These laptops were awarded to exceptional students by the government under a carefully drafted and implemented scrutiny process.

 

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt