Court hearing: PML-N workers clash with police

Party activists try to greet Shehbaz, Hamza amid tight security

LAHORE:

Incidents of scuffle between the police and workers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were reported as Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz were presented before an accountability court on Tuesday in a money laundering cars.

Police had made strict security arrangements on the occasion. Heavy contingents of police including Anti-Riot Force (ARF) and women police were also deployed on the occasion.

The roads leading to the court were closed using barbed wires and containers.

As the PML-N leaders were leaving the premises after appearing before the court in the case, party workers tried to move forward to welcome them. However, police interrupted them. An altercation was followed by police beating up the party workers.

MPA Chaudhry Shahbaz was also manhandled.

PML-N Lahore General Secretary Khawaja Imran Nazir said the workers had gathered to welcome their leaders. “Such tactics cannot bring a stop to their love for the leaders,” he said. He added that such treatment showed that the PML-N was making headway in the political arena.

Meanwhile, the accountability court adjourned the hearing of the reference against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz till November 2.

The indictment of both was scheduled. However, as the hearing commenced, the defence counsel said that they had not been provided copies of statements of the four approvers. However, the prosecution asserted that it had been done. On checking the record, the copies were not found. After this, the court ordered the provision of the copies and adjourned the hearing till November 2.

During the proceedings, Shehbaz said he was thankful to the court for giving relief on his application. However, he said, he had not been provided a hard bed. The judge said orders had been issued in accordance with the law. The court again ordered provision of facilities to the detained leader as per the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2020.