LAHORE, DEC 13 (DNA) — Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the inflation being witnessed today was unprecedented.

Speaking to the media outside an accountability court (AC) in Lahore, he said that record price hike had broken the back of a poor man and devastated each and every household in the country. “So much so that people are yearning for a single loaf of bread now,” he said, and added, “They are praying to Allah (The Almighty) to rid them of this ‘incompetent’ government.”

Shehbaz said it was really unfortunate that even the prices of milk for infants and medicines were now out of the reach of common man.  “To cut a long story short, the entire nation is in so much pain that one shudders at its mere thought,” he regretted.

Earlier, hearing of three cases, involving the Shehbaz Sharif family, was held at the accountability court. 

The court issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) when Hamza Shehbaz, Shehbaz’s son and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, filed a petition for his acquittal in Ramzan Sugar Mills’ reference in the light of NAB amendment ordinance.

The petitioner stated that he was implicated in the reference with a mala fide intent, and the NAB’s act was politically motivated. “The case against me has no grounds. The case was filed because I was the CEO of the mills.

At the same time, let me remind you that I am not the only owner of the mills,” he argued. And since, he went on to add, there is no chance that he would be convicted in the case, he be acquitted.

Ahmed Ali, a co-accused in the money laundering case against the Shehbaz family, and who was arrested a few days ago, was provided copies of the supplementary reference by the court. The court asked him to also show up on the next date of hearing for indictment. The AC adjourned the hearing of all three references until December 20. =DNA

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