Shehbaz Sharif vows to turn PML-N election rallies into protests

LAHORE: Former chief minister Punjab and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday “they would turn every election campaign rally of the party into a protest” due to the treatment given to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

The former CM was addressing a press conference in Lahore, where he criticised the measures taken by the caretaker government regarding the arrest of Nawaz and Maryam.

“Will soon give a call for peaceful protest in the country. Workers will protest wearing black armbands,” he said.

He said that taking a legal discourse, the PML-N will defend its leader and his daughter.

In a reference to the sentence given to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in Avenfield properties case, Shehbaz said ‘the trial of terrorists is carried out in jails’.

"I have heard Nawaz and Maryam's trial will be held in Adiala jail, this is tantamount to disgracing sanctity of justice," said the PML-N president.

The PML-N leader said that in 1999 when former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had made a plane hijacking case against Nawaz, even then the trial was not held in jail.

While referring to the father-daughter duo's arrival on Friday, Shehbaz said that the people came out to welcome their leader Nawaz out of their own accord, adding that the leadership 'had promised a peaceful rally'.

"Police used tear gas and baton-charged our workers in the rally," said Shehbaz.

He said that cases were registered against him and the senior leadership of the party, adding that the clauses pertaining to 'terrorism' were also included in the petition. 

PML-N rally: Cases registered against Shehbaz, other leaders

Earlier today, twelve cases against PML-N workers and leaders including party president Shehbaz were registered in different police stations of Lahore. The interim Punjab government had imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), a law concerning the maintenance of public order, ahead of Nawaz and his daughter Maryam's arrival.

Among the PML-N leaders named in the cases are Javed Hashmi, Uzma Bukhari, and Marriyum Aurangzeb. Also accused of different charges including attempt to murder, and terrorism are Mubashir Javed, Raja Zafarul Haq, and Mushahid Hussain.

The cases registered at different police stations in Lahore include charges of intervention in the state's affairs and vandalism.

On Friday night, the former premier and his daughter, who were convicted in the Avenfield Apartments reference, were arrested upon their arrival in Lahore and were subsequently taken to Islamabad in a chartered flight.

The father-daughter duo were then separated and taken from the Islamabad International Airport in two convoys to the Central Jail in Adiala, Rawalpindi.