Shehbaz Sharif complains of 'inhuman' treatment in custody

Lahore, Oct 6 (IANS) Pakistan Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, who was arrested last month by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail plea in a money laundering case, said that he was being "humiliated and subjected to cruelty" in custody.The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President made the remarks when he appeared before the Lahore High Court's presiding Judge Jawadul Hassan on Monday, reports Dawn news.Sharif said that it was a known fact that he had been suffering from a severe backache for the last 25 years."Initially the officials used to provide me food on a table in the detention room but now they deliberately put it on the ground so I feel pain picking it up."I have been humiliated and subjected to cruelty during the remand despite my known medical history," he added.Following his complaint, Judge Hassan expressed serious concern and warned the NAB that officials needed to treat him with respect as Sharif was also a former Chief Minister of Punjab province.But an NAB prosecutor denied the allegations, adding that Sharif was not even kept in a lock-up but in a dispensary instead, Dawn news reported.Sharif has been in the NAB custody since his arrest on September 28 after the Lahore High Court dismissed his pre-arrest bail petition as withdrawn. His first remand is set to expire on October 13.
--IANS ksk/