Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry lashed out at the current government, judiciary, and provincial administrations, stating that the Prime Minister lacked credibility to provide relief when he himself “doesn’t even have clothes on his back.” Speaking to the media outside the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), he criticised what he described as unchecked and unaccountable governance.  Fawad accused former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of using the official prime ministerial aircraft  like a “private taxi” to travel to London. 

He further condemned recent salary hikes for the National Assembly Speaker and Senate Chairman. He  questioned how a provincial chief minister could be allocated an Air Force jet simply for medical treatment in Geneva. The politician also raised concerns over the judicial process in politically motivated cases,  particularly referencing the ongoing trials in Faisalabad. “It would be better to shift these cases  to military courts,” he remarked, adding that his own petition remained pending in the High Court while unprecedented methods of prosecution continue.

He decried the limited access given to former prime minister Imran Khan’s lawyers and family at  Adiala Jail and claimed that such non-transparent trials did not take place even during the  harshest martial law regimes. “Even in the 15th and 16th centuries, monarchs used to conduct such biased trials against opponents,” he said. Fawad stated the judicial system is collapsing and the country is operating in darkness, questioning how long this situation can last.

He urged for political stability through dialogue and forming an opposition alliance but claimed that there is no interest from the ruling side. Highlighting alleged financial mismanagement in Punjab, he criticised the provincial government for spending Rs. 30 billion over three days of Eid on sanitation, despite an annual budget of only Rs. 13 billion for cleanliness. “Funds are being spent in a way that no one has any accountability,” he concluded. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)