Shehbaz's arrest: PML-N gives Tuesday's deadline for summoning NA, PA sessions

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has given a deadline until Tuesday (tomorrow) for summoning sessions of the National and Punjab assemblies over the arrest of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

Speaking to media after a key meeting of the party, chaired by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah said that they had submitted requisitions for summoning sessions of both the assemblies.

He said that if the sessions were not called, then they would conduct the sessions outside the respective assemblies.

"Then the protest will not be limited to the Parliament," Sanaullah warned, maintaining that the arrest of the opposition leader was an insult of the Parliament and an effort to influence the by-elections.

The PML-N, during the meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC), decided to protest inside the Parliament over Shehbaz’s arrest.

The meeting, held in Model Town, Lahore, was attended by the party’s CEC members.

During the meeting, the party members decided to protest against Shehbaz's arrest and Sunday's press conference by Prime Minister Imran Khan inside the Parliament. 

Some participants also suggested taking to the streets in protest, whereas some others proposed not to protest on the streets in the country's interests. 

This was the first formal party meeting that Nawaz chaired since after his release from Adiala jail last month. 

The former premier, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar were released from Adiala prison on September 19 after the Islamabad High Court suspended their sentences in the Avenfield corruption reference.

On Saturday, an accountability court granted the National Accountability Bureau a 10-day physical remand of Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case. 

The PML-N president and former Punjab CM was arrested by the NAB on Friday.