PML-N MNAs protest ‘terrorist-like’ treatment given to Nawaz Sharif

–Party lawmakers say bringing former PM to court in APC ‘like a terrorist’ was uncalled for

–Criticise Shehbaz Sharif for not raising voice against rigging during inaugural session of NA

ISLAMABAD: The elected lawmakers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday raised a voice against the ‘maltreatment’ meted out to party supremo Nawaz Sharif while he was being taken to the accountability court for his hearing and asked the party leadership to lodge a strong protest against it.

The dissenting voices were raised during the parliamentary meeting of the PML-N soon after the oath-taking of the new parliamentarians.

Sources in the PML-N informed Pakistan Today that the party’s lawmakers expressed resentment over the way former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was taken to the court in an armoured personnel vehicle (APC) on Monday and the media blackout observed during the trial of the elder Sharif.

They said that during the meeting, a majority of PML-N lawmakers said that Nawaz was taken to the court in an APC just like a ‘terrorist’, which should be condemned by the party, adding that a strong protest should be registered with the caretaker government.

While party chief Shehbaz Sharif came under harsh criticism for not protesting during the first session of the parliament over the rigging allegations, some party parliamentarians were of the view that the treatment meted out to Nawaz and Maryam should also be raised inside Parliament House.

Sheikh Rohail Asghar, an MNA from Lahore, proposed to carry out introspection rather than focusing only on rigging allegations.

“We need to take into stock all reasons which have led us to a situation where we are today. Out failures are multi-pronged and there is a need to fix everything before we start the new parliamentary sojourn,” a PML-N lawmaker quoted Rohail as saying.

It was finally decided to form a committee which would devise a strategy to arrange a protest outside the judicial complex on the eve of next hearing of Nawaz Sharif. The meeting also decided that the committee would arrange the protest before attending the next National Assembly session.

“All the lawmakers and party leaders would gather outside the judicial complex on the next hearing of Nawaz Sharif to stage a strong protest before the NA session,” the source said.

Former state minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told journalists that the party had decided to condemn the maltreatment meted out by the caretaker regime to the incarcerated former premier.

“Those leaders who are loved by the people should be given special treatment and this defiance should end immediately,” she concluded.