ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League(Nawaz) Chairman and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq has termed the arrest of Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif by National Accountability Bureau illegal and an act to influence the upcoming by-elections in the country.
In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner he sought action on part of the Election Commission to intervene and protect the rights of one of the major political parties in the country.
Raja Zafarul Haq drew the attention of the Chief Election Commissioner toward other cases under investigation in NAB where the accused in the cases were not arrested so the arrest of Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif in a case seemed mala fide and an attempt to influence the upcoming by-elections.
He said that in helicopter case against Prime Minister Imran Khan and Nandipur Power project case the NAB investigation officers had not issued arrest warrants of the accused while in a similar type of inquiry Shehbaz Sharif was arrested and put behind the bars.
He said that it also showed the ill-intention of the NAB investigators that he was summoned in one case while arrested in another inquiry for probe when the accused (Shehbaz Sharif) was fully cooperating with the NAB officials and extending all sort of help in accomplishment of the probe.
He recalled that before the July 25 general elections party Quaid Nawaz Sharif was put behind the bars to influence the general election results and now party chief Shehbaz Sharif was rounded up to secure desired results in the upcoming by-polls.
He charged that the government was fully behind the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif and rejected the charges of corruption on him in both Saaf Pani project and Ashiana Housing Project.
He urged Chief Election Commissioner to take notice of the arrest. The senior PML-N leader suspected more arrests of PML-N leaders to terrorise the party voters and to keep them away from the election process.
WORKERS PROTEST ARREST
Staff Reporter from Peshawar adds: Leaders and workers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Peshawar chapter Saturday staged a protest against the arrest of party’s central president and former chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The protesting activists led by PML-N leaders Arbab Khezar Hayat, Sobia Khan, Ikhtyar Wali, Haji Sifat and others took out a protest rally and moved towards the Peshawar Press Club.
They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the anti-graft watchdog and in favour of party president.
NAB had arrested Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana Housing Scheme scam Friday.
Condemning the arrest of their leader, the PML-N protesting leader Arbab Khezar Hayat termed Shahbaz’s arrest a political victimisation. They said the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif was regrettable and ridiculous.
Shehbaz Sharif being chief minister had set great examples of transparency and honesty in all projects, he added.
The infuriated protestors said that PTI is responsible for this political victimisation. They asked PTI leadership to be ready to reap what it is sowing today. They alleged that PML-N president was arrested “without any evidence against him.”
Efforts were made to break the PML-N but it remained united, they added.
