The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Members of Punjab Assembly (MPAs) held a protest outside the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday against its failure to call a session over party president Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest.
Attempts of the PML-N lawmakers to enter the Punjab Assembly premises by scaling walls were foiled. Following the announcement of the PML-N to stage a protest at the assembly’s stairs, the main gate of the provincial assembly was blocked off with barbed wires and a heavy contingent of police was deployed.
“Not allowing the lawmakers to protest is proof of the government’s anti-democratic behaviour,” said PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb ahead of the protest. She said, “The responsibility of any untoward incident will lie with the Punjab Assembly speaker and the government.”
It is worth to mention here that Shehbaz Sharif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case and sent on a 10-day physical remand.
The PML-N, during the meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC), decided to protest inside the Parliament over Shehbaz’s arrest. The party had also given a deadline which expired on Tuesday for summoning sessions of the National and Punjab Assemblies.
Speaking to media after the CEC meeting, Rana Sanaullah had said that they had submitted requisitions for summoning sessions of both the assemblies and that if they were not called, they would conduct the sessions outside the respective assemblies.
