Pak opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif slams Imran Khan govt for 'criminal negligence' in COVID-19 response

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif has slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan's federal government for its 'criminal negligence' in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Speaking during a meeting with parliamentary members of his party, Shehbaz said that had Khan not wasted time espousing vain philosophies, the death toll would not have reached 200 in a day, reported Geo News.

"Failure of the government to control the pandemic due to mismanagement has endangered the lives of people," he said, adding that that the system of governance under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government 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.

The PML-N leader further stressed that due to the government's mismanagement, the situation of hospitals has also become chaotic without any alternative arrangements.

"While nothing happened to Imran Niazi, the masses are suffering," Shehbaz remarked.

Pakistan's COVID-19 positivity ratio jumped to 10.41 per cent after it recorded 5,112 new positive cases and 131 deaths in the last 24 hours, reported ARY News citing National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) data.

The country has a total of 8,20,823 infections and 17,811 deaths.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani court last week granted Shehbaz post-arrest bail in a money laundering case. According to the short court order, the PML-N leader was required to furnish two bail bonds worth Pakistani Rs 5 million each.

Shehbaz, the brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was arrested on September 28, 2020, in the money laundering reference after the LHC refused to further extend his pre-arrest bail.

Previously, Shehbaz was also arrested by NAB on October 5, 2018 in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and later in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. The LHC had released him on bail in both cases on February 17, 2019.

( With inputs from ANI )