Sharif celebrated I-Day with jail inmates
Islamabad, Aug 15: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrated the nation's Independence Day in the Rawalpindi Central Jail on Tuesday with other inmates, the media reported on Wednesday.
"Three cakes weighing 10 pounds each were brought to the jail and the former premier paid for them," Dawn news quoted a jail official official as saying.
At the request of some inmates, Sharif cut a cake and made a brief speech, he added.
Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar were present at the event.
Maryam informed women inmates about the progress the country made during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.
According to the official, the jail inmates took interest when the former Prime Minister told them about events leading to his government's decision about conducting nuclear tests in 1998.
He said Sharif had also spoken about his family's struggle after the independence of the country.
Meanwhile, Sharif expressed the resolve to initiate a programme for providing higher education to prisoners in jails across the country, according to a senior PML-N leader.
"In this regard, the Islamic International University's help will be required," he told Dawn.
There was a plan to provide postgraduate education to interested prisoners and classes for it would be organised inside jails, he added.
Sharif, Maryam and Safdar are serving prison sentence of 10 years, seven years and one year, respectively after being convicted in the Avenfield case involving the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Fire breaks out in residential building in east Delhi, nine killed
New Delhi (PTI): At least nine people were killed after a fire broke out in a residential building in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar early Sunday, officials said.
The incident was reported around 3.48 am at a four-storey building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I, following which police, fire and disaster management teams rushed to the spot.
According to the police, the blaze engulfed flats on the second, third and fourth floors of the building, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
"Around 10 to 15 people were rescued from the premises during the firefighting operation. Two of them, who sustained minor injuries, were shifted to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital," a senior police officer said.
A total of 12 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, while teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), traffic police and local police assisted in the rescue and evacuation efforts.
Police said the fire was brought under control after several hours.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained, and efforts are underway to determine the cause of the fire, police said.
Further investigation and proceedings are underway.
