Resolution submitted on violence at NAB office

Minister vows to take action against rioters; PML-N seeks house debate on the incident

LAHORE:

Riots outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office at the arrival of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday were condemned by the ruling as well as opposition parties.

PML-N lawmakers alleged that Maryam Nawaz was attacked and party workers injured.

Two PML-N legislators submitted a resolution and an adjournment motion in the Punjab Assembly secretariat against the alleged stone pelting, baton charge and use of water cannon against the party workers.

However, the PTI government termed the incident as reminiscent of an attack on the Supreme Court by PML-N supporters in the past.

PML-N MPA Sumaria Komal stated in her resolution that police personnel pelted the party leader’s vehicle with stones, as a result of which it windscreen got cracked. She criticised arrest of women workers by the police, claiming that it had refreshed the memories of dictatorship.

PML-N’s Rana Manan, in his adjournment motion, claimed that there is wave of anger amongst the people over the pelting of stones by the police officials at the vehicle of Maryam Nawaz and baton charge on party workers. He said his own vehicle had also been damaged by stones allegedly thrown by the police officials. He demanded action against police officials who attacked the workers.

PPP parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza termed the alleged assault on Maryam Nawaz and her workers as a sign of dictatorship. In a statement, he asked how long the workers of parties would tolerate what he called humiliation by NAB. Assembling workers at a venue where leaders are summoned is not rare, he said.

On the other hand, the government claimed that a PML-N plot to attack the NAB office and the police officials had been exposed before everyone.

Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat said those who had committed corruption would have to be held accountable. He was addressing a press conference along with Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chauhan.

Raja Basharat said the PML-N had revived memories of an attack on the Supreme Court and once again exposed its real face. He said throwing stones at the NAB office was a very shameful act which reflected fascist thinking of PML-N.

He said that cases would be registered against those violating the law and disturbing the peace. The law minister said that Maryam Nawaz was blaming NAB and the police even though the entire media witnessed that the security vehicles of PML-N were loaded with stones, which were allegedly distributed among the workers for mischief.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2020.