Shahbaz blasts Askari for targeting PML-N

LAHORE: PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday wrote a letter to Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Hassan Askari, protesting the crackdown on his party workers and demanding immediate release of 169 activists currently under detention at Kot Lakhpat jail.

In the letter, Shahbaz said, “I am writing to protest a large-scale arrest of PML-N workers in Lahore and other cities of Punjab as part of an illegal and unjustified crackdown by your administration which is targeting the PML-N.” “What is even worse is that the workers who were arrested without any rhyme or reason have been sent on judicial remand to Kot Lakhpat jail. This is a blatant violation of the code of Conduct of the Election Commission, as well as all democratic norms and this is tantamount to pre-poll bargaining by your administration to ensure a favourable playing field for one political opponent, who are being given a free hand,” maintained the PML-N president. “169 workers of the PML-N are already in Kot Lakhpat jail which means that our peaceful election campaign is being sabotaged in a wilful and blatant manner.”

“The PML-N demands forthwith release of all these workers of the PML-N. I am sending a copy of this letter to Chief Election Commissioner as well as the Chief Justice of Supreme Court since these actions are directly aimed at influencing our election campaign in a negative manner to prevent us from exercising our right to contest the election freely and fairly,” Shahbaz said.

Meanwhile, out of the total 169, 64 were arrested and detained by the police on Wednesday night alone. These include 22 UC chairmen namely Mahmood UC-244 Gajjumata, Muhammad Manzur Butt UC-146 Panjpir, Mian Akbar UC-125 Baghbanpura, Muhammad Yaqub UC-205 Makkah Colony, Muhammad Rafiq UC-164 Kot Khawaja Saeed, Tauseef Ahmed Qureshi UC-209 Model Town, Mehr M Afzal UC-145 Harbanspura, Malik Latif UC-23 Khokhar Pind, Maqsood Ahmed UC-151 Gulgasht Colony, Ch Asif UC-235 Township, Ajmal Hashmi UC-232, Muhammad Amir Shoukat UC-226 Johar Town, Sajjad Rabbani UC-221 Johar Town, Pervez Ch UC-220 Johar Town, Nazakat UC-36 Lohari, M Ali UC-48 Shafiqabad, Rehmat Ali UC-197 Lidhar, Naveed-ul-Haq Kiyani UC-112 Mustafa Town, Ch Liaqat Ali UC-110 Niaz Beg, Waqas Ilyas s/o Vice Chairman UC-67, Muhammad Rafiq Chairman UC-59 Chohan Park and Muhammad Awais UC-65 Islampura. PMLN Media Coordination Muhammad Mehdi, while commenting on these arrests, said the illegal abductions and detentions were aimed at dampening the spirits of the PML-N workers and supporters. “On the contrary, it resulted in boosting their enthusiasm because the party workers know that this struggle is for the right of the civilians to govern themselves as is laid out in the Constitution of the country,” he added. Mehdi said Nawaz had proven his courage and commitment to democracy and if the people were restrained through force from welcoming their leader, nobody would be able to bear the rage and fury of Nawaz’s lovers.

Meanwhile, DIG Operations Shehzad Akbar said the police had to take special measures in light of the Peshawar bombing and nobody would be allowed to do anything that would jeopardise the smooth sailing of the pre-election and the election process. “Which is why these individuals were arrested to contain the situation before it gets out of hand,” he added.