RAWALPINDI                  -                 Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has predicted that PML-N President Mian Shehbaz Sharif would dodge National Accountability Bureau (NAB) even on next date of hearing and the anti graft body would have to arrest him so as to start investigation in the money laundering and income beyond means case.

Talking to media during his visit to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on Tuesday, he said that Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif came back to homeland with a dream of national government not due to coronavirus affectees.

“The NAB took his statement seriously but he was making joke. He was referring his statement made three days ago in Lahore that he insufflated (blow a prayer in the air) on Shehbaz and he escaped arrest. I also conveyed him a message through people like you. He claimed that he has two maukals (supernatural creators) in NAB,’ he said.

“I advise Prime Minister Imran Khan to reconcile with the Opposition and media. In this difficult time all the Opposition and Treasury benches had to work together and if we are saved from coronavirus then we would do our politics,” he said.

He said that Pakistan Railways likely to resume its train service from April 25th but decision was linked to approval of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said that it might ply limited trains by adopting standard operating procedures for social distancing among the passengers.

He said that there was dire need for joint strategy to deal with coronavirus situation in the country.

He said the provision of relief to the people, affected by the lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, was government’s top priority.

He said that as many as six patients lost their lives due to coronavirus in Rawalpindi district and 196 patients were admitted in different hospitals 58 patients recovered and had been discharged.

“We have six ventilators in Pakistan Railways and turned medical van of train as High dependency Unity,” he said while responding to a question about the facilities being extended to the patients.

“The British had made emergency coaches 100 years ago and we shall soon provide Railway hospital to other parts of the country,” the Minister stated.

He said that Pakistan Railways donated more than Rs 50 million in Prime Minister coronavirus fund. He also urged Sindh government to release the violators of Section 144.

He said that if needed, the government would take all the private hospitals under its control and he would set up mobile hospitals wherever needed. “We will raze Rose Cinema at Fawara Chowk in Raja Bazaar to make it part of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.”

Earlier, federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed said that prayers can be offered in mosques on Friday with precautionary measures.