Opp takes strong notice of ‘attack’ on Nawaz in London

Opposition legislators in the National Assembly on Monday become more vocal over the protest allegedly by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers outside Nawaz Sharif’s house in London, saying that an attack was attempted on the former premier. On the other hand, the ruling party members claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had earlier denied the Sharif family owned the property. After initiating the National Assembly session, PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif said that his party did not wish to turn political animosity into a personal one, but they would go to great lengths if something happened to their leader. During his address, Khawaja Asif said that an attack was attempted on Nawaz Sharif in London. “It has never happened in the past, and it will turn into a tradition if such acts start to take place.” He added that his party would go to great lengths if sanctity of PML-N supremo’s or anyone else’s house was violated. The PML-N leader asserted that such things were not included in their political traditions, and were introduced in the last four to five years. “This kind of behaviour is not encouraged, as we are being given a message of war,” he said, adding that it would engulf the whole system. “We would not instruct our workers to stage demonstrations outside anyone’s home,” he added. He said that Nawaz Sharif went to London with the judicial approval, and not with government’s consent. “I will reveal the names of those who staged protest in London when the time comes,” he added. Supporting the PML-N stance, former PM and PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the London protest was a regrettable incident and if such incidents occurred then no one would be safe anywhere. “There is no justification of such a protest.” He urged PM Imran Khan to take notice of the incident and order action against the culprits. He also claimed that the situation of law and order was worsening in Punjab, and the government took no proper steps to control it. Responding to the points raised by the opposition leaders in the National Assembly, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said the nation would keep on asking questions about loot and plunder of the past rulers. He said the PTI had nothing to do with the protest at the residence of the former prime minister’s son in London. Condemning the protest, the minister said, “We neither support nor encourage attacks on the residence of political opponents.” The minister, however, said that the PML-N would have to answer how the former ruling family bought properties in London. He said Shehbaz Sharif plundered the national wealth in the name of paper companies like Good Nature Company. He said the demonstration was organised by the Pakistan Solidarity Front. Regarding opposition’s objection on issuance of ordinances, Murad Saeed said every democratic government of the past issued 119 ordinances every year, but the PTI government promulgated only 19 ordinances in just 18 months. The minister said the opposition should talk about issues pertaining to the common man instead of protecting corruption of their leadership. He said that the PPP and the PML-N should reply to questions regarding placing the country under unprecedented loan of Rs 24,000 billion in last 10 years, Shehbaz Sharif’s TT scandal, and foreign properties of the past rulers. “Today is the International Anti-Corruption Day but here the opposition wants to cover it instead of discussing it in the parliament,” he regretted. He said absconders like Ishaq Dar and Nawaz Sharif’s two sons were all sitting in London and hatching conspiracies against the PTI government. Another PML-N leader, Javed Latif, informed the House that some agencies were trying to arrest him in fake cases of sources beyond means. However, PTI’s Hammad Azhar told Javed Latif that he should not discuss his corruption cases in parliament. “Go and tell it in courts. Parliament is a place for discussions on public issues.”