Awami Muslim League chief and former federal minister Sheikh Rasheed has appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to ensure that appeals against long prison sentences are heard so that justice can be served. He said that many people have been sentenced to 40 years in prison, leaving their families in deep distress and hardship.
Speaking to the media outside the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi, Sheikh Rasheed said he was making a humble request to the Chief Justice to listen to public appeals. He revealed that his nephew had also been sentenced to 40 years in prison and that many households were currently mourning. He emphasized that those found guilty should be punished, but innocent individuals must be granted relief in accordance with justice.
Sheikh Rasheed said that on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, he prayed that the government would take concrete steps to support farmers, as they were facing severe difficulties and their conditions had worsened significantly. He added that farmers were struggling and required immediate government attention.
He further stated that around 8,000 street carts and kiosks had been destroyed, resulting in a visible slowdown in business activity and an atmosphere of silence in the city. Sheikh Rasheed noted that he had established 60 educational institutions in Rawalpindi, but rising inflation had badly affected the education sector.
The former federal minister said that inflation had reached a level where colleges and universities were becoming increasingly empty, with fewer students and more teachers. He stressed that economic pressures had made life difficult for ordinary citizens and called for urgent reforms to address the situation.
