Serving a seven-year term in a Pakistani jail for his role in the notorious Avenfield apartments corruption case, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is able to access privileges like homemade food and an air-conditioned cell with a television set.
But Pakistan's current Prime Minister Imran Khan said he plans to take away Sharif's privileges. Khan was speaking to overseas Pakistanis in Washington, D.C on Sunday during a three-day state visit at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
Khan's 50-minute speech at the Capital One Arena in Chinatown was reportedly attended by over 30,000 American-Pakistanis.
“Nawaz Sharif wants food from home in jail and he wants air conditioning in jail. But being in a country where half the population has no air conditioning or TV, what kind of punishment this is?" Khan told the audience.
"I am going to go back and make sure there is no air conditioning or no TV for Nawaz Sharif who is a criminal. I know Maryam Bibi (Sharif’s daughter) will make some noise, but I say to her, return the money. It's as simple as that," Khan added, adding that the former prime minister was "propped up" by a military dictator.
Khan also took a swipe at Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, accusing him of joining hands with Sharif’s PML-N party in the process of “looting the country.”
Khan is scheduled to meet President Trump at the White House on 22 July. The US had earlier suspended military aid worth $300 million after Trump accused Islamabad of not taking substantive steps to fight terrorism.
Sharif's corruption case pertains to the luxury residence Avenfield House in London where four apartments (Flat 16, 16a, 17 and 17a) allegedly belong to Nawaz Sharif’s Family.
In 2017, when the Panama Papers were leaked, Sharif, his three children and his son-in-law were accused of acquiring the Avenfield flats by siphoning off public money. The combined value of the four flats is around $9 million. Sharif’s family claims that apartments belong to Nawaz Sharif's sons and not to the former Prime Minister.
