Treated as terrorist though not on ECL: Hamza

LAHORE: Leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shahbaz, has said that he was treated like a terrorist at airport, though his name was not on the exit control list (ECL).

Talking to the media here on Friday, he alleged that political opponents were being victimised in the name of accountability. He accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of being prejudice and added they all wanted for accountability, but that should be across the board.

Hamza reiterated his stance on exemption to Banigala encroachments and aggressive anti-encroachment drive against the poor people of the country. He said he had no issue if Imran Khan was satisfied by barring him (Hamza) from travel abroad, but he added, real issues of the common man should be resolved on priority.

He said Shahbaz Sharif had already said that they were ready to solve problems of masses. He said people had suffered a lot because of inflation and there was dire need to provide them relief.

He said recently he was barred from travelling abroad and was informed that they (the officials) had received orders from higher authorities for doing so. He said he had faced political victimisation during the rule of the late Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf.

Hamza said production order for Khawaja Saad Rafique should be issued. He said three provincial assemblies had rules for issuance of production orders while Punjab Assembly did not have such rules and added the same should be famed.