LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has finalised its strategy ahead of party Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s appearance before the investigators of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on March 26, it emerged on Tuesday.
The political party will establish camps to welcome the vice president at Adda Plot Raiwind Road and Thokar Niaz Baig, wherein she will be met by the central leaders, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah and others, who will then lead the PML-N workers to the outside the NAB Lahore office.
Maryam will be accompanied by Hamza Shehbaz, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders and political activities while departing for the NAB office.
INP reported that PML-N workers will hold a sit-in outside the NAB Lahore office if Maryam is arrested there, however, the leadership directed activists to remain peaceful.
In the case of Maryam’s detainment, the political party will summon workers across the country to join the sit-in outside the NAB office.
Separately, Interior Ministry approved a request by the watchdog to declare their Lahore office a “red zone” and for security to be provided to the bureau on the day of PML-N Vice President Maryam’s hearing.
A day earlier, the anti-graft body had announced that the NAB Lahore office and surrounding areas have been declared as a ‘Red Zone’, and had deployed police and rangers to protect it from the supposedly planned attack of the opposition parties’ goons during the hearing of two inquiries of Maryam on March 26.
Quoting media reports that the workers of opposition parties and some corruption suspects were planning vandalism at the NAB Lahore office during the hearing of PML-N Vice President Maryam in connection with her two inquiries in NAB, a spokesperson of the anti-corruption body had said that effective steps were being taken to provide foolproof security to NAB Lahore building.
NAB would continue playing its due role for the recovery of looted amount sans caring about browbeating, intimidation or duress by some suspects, the spokesperson had added.
Previously, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah had asked NAB not to “put obstacles” in the way of PML-N workers who plan to accompany the party Vice President Maryam during her hearing on March 26.
“Our workers should not be stopped. When they (NAB) have summoned PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz then they should show courage [and] allow people to gather there to express solidarity with her and not put any obstacles in the way,” he had said while addressing the media in Lahore.
He had pointed out that the last time the PML-N VP had gone to the anti-graft body, the office had been sealed up to a kilometre from all sides, and had stressed that this mistake should not be repeated.
Furthermore, he had stressed that the notice issued to Maryam was “illegal” and “unconstitutional” and should be withdrawn. The PML-N Punjab president had maintained that the workers reserve the right to protest if Maryam was arrested in the illegal inquiry.
On the other hand, he had added: “I take responsibility that none of our workers will resort to any sort of violence […] We will gather there to express solidarity with our leader in a peaceful manner.”
