PML-N holds ‘joint parliamentary session’ outside NA

Demands Shehbaz Sharif be produced in every sitting of the upcoming NA session

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday held a ‘joint parliamentary session’ of its lawmakers outside the Parliament House as part of its ongoing protest against arrest of the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The lawmakers passed a resolution condemning the arrest and the ‘baseless allegations’ levelled against Sharif by the NAB. The resolution said NAB has become a ‘collaborator’ of the government and demanded producing Sharif in every sitting of the upcoming National Assembly session.

The lawmakers also condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s controversial statements on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and said such statements are not in favour of the country’s interests.



Lawmakers of both houses of the parliament first assembled outside the main entrance of the Parliament House. They had an agenda as the sessions usually have with presence of about 50 lawmakers including Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Marriyum Aurangzaib and Mushahid Ullah Khan.

After getting to know that media was not allowed in the areas as there was no normal session of the any of the houses of the parliament, the PML-N leaders decided to hold the session outside the Parliament House. The Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party lawmakers also attended the huddle.

The session was called before requisitioning of the National Assembly session which will now held on October 17. The session was requested by the opposition parties in the wake of Shehbaz’s Oct 6 arrest.

Mushahid Ullah Khan criticised the government and said if there were free and fair elections they would be in the opposition. “Nowhere in the world are the polling agents kept out during counting of the votes,” he said. “Open those CCTV cameras and truth will prevail.”



Senator Asif Kirmani also said the elections were controversial and the recent arrest of Shehabz Sharif was also connected to by-elections. Rana Sanaullah said NAB’s case against Shehbaz is baseless and a similar reference was filed against the PTI’s Babar Awan but he was never arrested.

Senator Usman Kakar from PkMAP said the government in Balochistan is headed by a ‘wrong party’ and that the non-democratic forces took control of election affairs during the interim set-up.

The National Assembly former speaker Ayaz Sadiq chaired the visibly cheerful meeting. At one moment an MNA Riazul Haq said he was walking out of the session as he was not given due time. Sadiq requested him not to point out the quorum'.

The session concluded with the demands that the resolution be implemented in letter and spirit, adding that “otherwise there will be reaction.” A similar session was also held on Wednesday outside the Punjab Assembly with similar demands and speeches.