PML-N's Wasim Akhtar, Naeem Safdar turn themselves in after Kasur protest

This brings the aggregate number of arrested party workers to 55

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LAHORE: Two members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) turned in themselves to authorities Wednesday night, bumping up the total number of arrestees to 55 as compared to the more than 70 names booked for a protest against judiciary and state institutions.

Wasim Akhtar, a member of the National Assembly, and Naeem Safdar, a member of the Provincial Assembly, gave themselves up to the police last night after upwards of 70 workers of the political party, including the local federal and provincial lawmakers, were booked in two separate cases.

This brings the aggregate number of arrested party workers to 55.

Lawmakers, workers booked for protest

Filed by Constable Abdul Rasheed and Major (retired) Habib-ur-Rehman, the two cases had included names of Nasir Mehmood, the chairman of Bait-ul-Mal Kasur, and Jameel Ahmed, the chairman of Market Committee, apart from Akhtar and Safdar. 

Both cases were filed on the grounds that the protestors used inappropriate language against the judiciary and other state institutions during a protest rally on April 13.

The action initiated on the directives of Arif Nawaz, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for Punjab, would be implemented at any cost, Zahid Marwat, the district police officer (DPO) for Kasur, said, adding that teams had been dispatched to arrest the PML-N workers who participated in the rally.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi took a strict notice of the protest and directed the party’s chief present Sheikh Aftab to take disciplinary action against the members involved in the protest.