LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique on Thursday urged that the party worker’s who were arrested in a crackdown by the Punjab police are released immediately.
While addressing an emergency press conference, Rafique said that the party workers and leaders, including Shehbaz Sharif, will welcome Nawaz Sharif warmly upon his arrival at Lahore airport on July 13.
“I had no clue as to who had advised the caretaker chief minister to sanction the arrests of PML-N workers,” the party leader said.
“So far, more than 100 of our workers have been unlawfully apprehended,” he said, adding that, “the government should realise that we have no intention to create any law and order situation.”
Former speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq also took note of the arrests and said, “Stopping the workers from welcoming Nawaz may create a law and order situation.”
“The action is taken solely at the behest of caretaker CM Hasan Askari,” Ayaz Sadiq said, adding that, “it is beyond our comprehension who gave the idea of the unwarranted crackdown.”
Punjab police raided offices of PML-N on Wednesday night, and arrested several workers and local leaders, in what appeared to be a targeted crackdown against those workers preparing for Nawaz’s return from London.
Those taken in custody include PML-N’s Tahaffuz Aman Committee Chairman Aashir Jutt, Kahna’s Vice Chairman Mohammad Shafqat, UC-98 Chairman Muzammil Gujjar, UC-78 Chairman Syed Amir Shah Gulshan Ravi, UC-48 Chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Ali Gujjar, UC-59 Chairman Bao Muhammad Rafiq and UC-98 Chairman Muzammil Gujjar.
