–PML-N president says govt can’t suppress PML-N by using such ‘petty tactics’
–Shehbaz says party has formed committee to seek explanation from MPs who met Imran
–Former PM Abbasi claims drugs were planted in MNA’s vehicle
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of ‘orchestrating’ the arrest of party’s Punjab President Rana Sanaullah, saying the prime minister had gotten Sana arrested out of ‘frustration and to divert people’s attention from the budget’.
Speaking to reporters after holding a high-level party meeting, the National Assembly opposition leader alleged that the informant who tipped off about the drugs in Sana’s car was Imran himself.
Sana was arrested on Monday near Lahore after the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) found a huge quantity of heroin in his car.
“Rana Sanaullah’s arrest is the worst oppression, [use of] force, and injustice against opposition members by Imran Khan Niazi,” the PML-N president alleged. He said Sana had led “countless raids” against drug dealers during his tenure as a law minister of Punjab.
“And today Imran Khan has resorted to the worst petty tactics and levelled the false allegation against him to declare him a heroin peddler,” he added.
He alleged that Prime Minister Imran was taking such steps against the PML-N because “we are standing with the farmer, the poor and against poverty and unemployment.”
Shehbaz said the PM couldn’t suppress their voices by these “tactics” and that the entire PML-N would be ready to go to jail.
Shehbaz said that the PML-N won’t back off from its plan to take to streets. “As soon the right opportunity would come we will protest against the selected government,” he said.
He also talked about the reports of a forward bloc in the party, saying he had asked the lawmakers who met Imran Khan to appear before a board and give an explanation.
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi dubbed the incident as a form of “state terrorism”, saying such incident even didn’t happen during the regimes of the dictators.
He said Sanaullah’s vehicle was intercepted by ANF officials after he crossed the toll plaza and two ANF personnel got into the car and took Sanaullah to a police station after a heated exchange.
He said Sanaullah was informed at night that drugs were recovered from him the quantity of which he said was first stated to be 21kgs and later as 15kgs, claiming that there weren’t any drugs in the first place.