RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday celebrated Independence Day in Adiala jail with other inmates.

“Three cakes weighing 10 pounds each were brought to the jail and the former premier paid for them,” said a jail official.

At the request of some inmates, Mr Sharif cut a cake and made a brief speech, he added.

Mr Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar were present at the event. Ms Maryam informed women inmates about the progress the country made during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz 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 Mr Sharif had also spoken about his family’s struggle after the independence of the country.

Meanwhile, Mr Sharif has 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.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2018