Islamabad, Oct 17 (TNS): PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has arrived at the National Assembly to attend a session convened to discuss his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
He was handed over to NA’s junior sergeant of arms by NAB authorities at Gate Five of the building.
Shahbaz Sharif meets PPP leader Khursheed Shah in his chamber.
Sharif is expected to deliver a speech on the floor of the house. Members of the PML-N have also arrived and will register a strong protest against Sharif’s arrest, that took place earlier this month.
His production orders were issued by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser last week, after the opposition requested him to convene a session for a discussion on the matter.
Before the session, Sharif will chair a meeting between PML-N’s parliamentary committee that will be held in the NA building. PML-N leaders, including Rana Sanaullah, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Asif Kirmani and Maiza Hameed, among others will attend the meeting.
On Oct 6, lawmakers of a couple of opposition parties in both houses of parliament had met Speaker Qaiser at his residence and demanded immediate convening of an NA session, and sought the issuance of production orders for the leader of the opposition so that he could attend the session.
The delegation of opposition leaders comprised PML-N chairman and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, former NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and PML-N lawmaker Rana Tanvir.
During the meeting, the opposition leaders demanded that the NA session be summoned immediately so that they could raise the issue of Shahbaz’s arrest effectively.
Earlier this month, Sharif was arrested by NAB authorities in the Rs14 billion Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing project scam, when he visited the anti-corruption body’s Lahore office for a hearing. The arrest was termed as an attempt “to steal the by-elections” by Sadiq.
