Shahbaz being mentally tortured, says Tehmina

LAHORE: PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif’s wife Tehmina Durrani has termed her husband’s custody a ploy to mentally torture and break him and has revealed that Shahbaz is not being subjected to any serious investigation.

Tehmina met Shahbaz in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody after which she tweeted five times about what she had observed.

In her tweets, she questioned the reason for Shahbaz not having access to his lawyers and the appalling psychological treatment he was being subjected to.

Talking to The News, she said that during her conversation with Shahbaz, she came to know that he was interrogated for 30 minutes or less everyday and that the interrogation was directionless and repetitive. “They have not shown him a single document or evidence that implicates him in any of the accusations he is being held for. The investigators ask vague questions, most of them repetitive in nature for a maximum of 30 minutes every day and sometimes even for less time than that. If that is the state of affairs, this could be done by calling him for 30 minutes to the NAB office, what is the point in keeping him in custody 24/7,” questioned Tehmina.

When questioned if she was satisfied with the way the PML-N reacted to its leader’s arrest, she said apparently the party had been busy with the by-polls and anticipated that after the by-elections, the anger and adequate reaction would appear. She said Shahbaz was being kept in a dingy room with no window or any other means of exposure to fresh air. The only opening to the room is a door made of iron bars with a large lock on it. That door opens in a very narrow corridor with another iron bars door with a large lock on it. Shahbaz has to strike the lock against the bars to call someone in case he needs help, keeping in mind that he has a serious medical issue.

There is no way for him to tell the time other than the clock. It is no secret that Shahbaz Sharif is a man who has endless energy and worked till night, confine him to a 10x10 room with nothing to do under depressing circumstances with no substantial inquiry being done is a scheme to break him. However, he was in high spirits, she said.

Why the thrice chief minister of the largest province, the president of the largest political party and the opposition leader in the National Assembly was being treated worse than a psychopathic serial killer? she questioned. “This is the man who taught us the value of time as he was a man in a hurry and he served and worked 24/7 for the masses; are these people trying to set a precedent for the youth of this country that if your serve your country tirelessly, this is what you would get in return? This would have the worst effect on the youth of Pakistan, who Shahbaz had inspired with his energy and commitment.”

Tehmina said she talked to the NAB investigator as to why Shahbaz was brought in an armored vehicle like a terrorist to which she was given the reason of security issues.

“They had no answer when I asked them, what was the point in the armored car for security when there was no security when he was brought out of the car, pushed around and dragged among people? Someone could have put a knife through him”, she said.

Responding to a question if she plans to highlight this issue at bigger forums, she said she had revealed the real situation to the people of Pakistan and that was what most needed. She did not intend to launch a campaign or anything of the sort and would rather let the party take the lead on that.