PML-N to protest against Shehbaz Sharif's arrest outside Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: Former Punjab minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest is an insult and will be considered as an attack on parliament.

Addressing media after the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting in Lahore chaired by Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader said they strongly condemned the Opposition leader’s arrest.

“Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest without evidence is tantamount to an insult on parliament. It will be considered an attack on parliament,” he said.

He said that Shehbaz’s arrest is an example of political victimisation by the incumbent government and an attempt to influence the upcoming by-elections.

He said that the charges on which Shehbaz was arrested are trumped up and not a single penny was used, but instead the contract was cancelled by the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC).

He said that they have submitted a requisition to summon a session of the National and Punjab Assembly and will protest outside the parliament if an session is not called.

He said the PML-N will protest to expose the political victimisation and will contact other opposition parties to take them into confidence.

“Nawaz Sharif is our party leader, we will continue our democratic struggle under his leadership,” he said. “We will continue politics under Nawaz Sharif’s leadership.”

Regarding the upcoming by-elections, he said that the PML-N will hold their final political gathering on October 12 which will be addressed by Hamza Shehbaz and Shahid Khaqan Abbassi.

He called on the government to take action against those accused of corruption and land encroachments within its own ranks.

Rana Sanaullah also lashed at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) calling it remnant of the Musharraf era which had been and is still being used for political victimisation.

He said that current government is embroiled in several problems, and will devise further course of action after consulting other parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F).

He announced the party will protest outside Punjab Assembly from Wednesday on wards until a session is summoned, and will put also highlight the political victimisation carried out against them.

“The government is becoming a threat for the nation,” he added.