PML-N lawmakers protest outside Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPAs on Wednesday protested outside the Punjab Assembly against its failure to call a session over party president Shehbaz Sharif's arrest.

The PML-N lawmakers also attempted to enter the Punjab Assembly premises by scaling walls.

The main gate of the provincial assembly had been blocked off with barbed wires and contingents of police had been deployed following the PML-N's announcement to stage a protest at the assembly's stairs.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz said that the people who looted millions have become senior ministers in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. 

Hamza took a jibe at the Speaker Punjab Assembly by saying that after Nawaz Sharif and General (retd) Pervaiz Musharraf, Imran Khan has become his leader. 

"The man who has become Speaker Punjab Assembly is a Bank of Punjab defaulter of Rs22 billion," he said. 

He added that there should be probe on offshore companies of PM Imran's sister, Aleema Khan. 

Ahead of the protest, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had said, "Not allowing the lawmakers to protest is proof of the government's anti-democratic behaviour."  

"The responsibility of any untoward incident will lie with the Punjab Assembly speaker and the government," she had said.

Shehbaz 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.