Shahbaz Sharif blames PTI govt for committing “criminal negligence,” saying it couldn’t control the pandemic.
Says if Prime Minister Imran Khan was not busy espousing vain philosophies, the death toll would not have reached 200 in a day.
Says timely procurement and purchase of the coronavirus vaccine could have prevented the spread of the deadly virus.

LAHORE: PML-N’s president Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday said the PTI-led government committed “criminal negligence” as it could not control the pandemic in the country, adding that had Prime Minister Imran Khan not wasted time espousing vain philosophies, the death toll would not have reached 200 in a day.

Shahbaz was speaking during a meeting with the parliamentary members of his party. During the meeting, party leaders and workers congratulated him on being released from jail. PML-N’s parliamentary members and party’s ticket holders from South Punjab also attended the meeting.

Speaking about the coronavirus situation in the country, Shahbaz stressed the government should expedite the vaccination drive on an emergency basis.

“Failure of the government to control the pandemic due to mismanagement has endangered the lives of people,” Shahbaz said, adding that the system of governance [under the PTI] leadership has been “completely paralysed and suspended.”

He said that the timely procurement and purchase of the coronavirus vaccine could have prevented the spread of the deadly virus.

Criticising the government further, Shahbaz said that due to mismanagement, the situation of hospitals is also become chaotic, while alternative arrangements are nowhere to be seen.

“The government is not taking steps according to the situation,” Shahbaz said, adding that the conditions are getting worse yet the government is committing “criminal negligence.”

He said that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) could not predict the situation.

“Had Imran Niazi had not wasted time espousing vain philosophies, the death toll in the country would not have reached 200 in a day,” Shahbaz said.

“While nothing happened to Imran Niazi, the masses are suffering.”

Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity ratio jumped to 9.6% on Thursday (April 29) after the country reported over 5,000 new infections in the last 24 hours.

According to the official data provided by the NCOC, 5,480 people tested positive for the coronavirus, after 57,013 tests were conducted across the country.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 815,711, with most cases reported in Punjab.

The number of recoveries nationwide has reached 708,193 so far, while the number of active cases in the country stands at 89,838 as of today.

A day earlier, Pakistan reported the highest single-day death toll recorded since the pandemic started last year with over 200 new fatalities.

Shahbaz released from prison on bail
It should be recalled that last week, Shahbaz Sharif was released from jail after the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued the former Punjab chief minister’s bail order.

His lawyer, Azam Nazeer Tarar, deposited surety bonds in the accountability court number 2.

Upon reviewing the bonds deposited by Sharif, the LHC issued his release orders after which the PML-N president was allowed to leave the prison.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Sharif in September 2020 after a bail plea he had filed was turned down and the interim bail was cancelled by the LHC.

The arrest was made in a money-laundering and assets beyond means case earlier filed by NAB.