Opposition seeks early NA session to discuss Shehbaz's arrest

ISLAMABAD: Against the backdrop of PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest in a housing project scam, the opposition on Saturday submitted a request to Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser to summon a session of the lower house of Parliament at the earliest. 

A number of members of the Parliament from the opposition benches, including PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and JUI-F leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, called on the NA Speaker in Islamabad and submitted a requisition to call a session of the Parliament.

The PML-N leader said they had already submitted a requisition to summon a NA session within 14 days, but now requested the Speaker to convene it in two-three days instead to discuss the arrest of the leader of the opposition by NAB.

He said the Parliament’s sanctity was undermined yesterday and alleged the country’s anti-graft watchdog is being used against opponents.

The Bureau a day earlier arrested the PML-N president, who is the Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, inside its Lahore office where he was summoned to record his statement in connection with the Punjab Saaf Pani Company case.

Shehbaz reached the NAB office at 2:50pm. A combined investigation team of the country’s top anti-graft watchdog quizzed him for an hour over his alleged role in awarding contract to his “favourite firm” in violation of laws in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing project.

The Bureau later issued a statement, declaring that former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif has been arrested in the scam.