ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said her car was pelted with stones by police on Tuesday outside the office of the anti-graft watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Clashes broke out between the police and supporters of Nawaz’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party when she arrived at the NAB office for proceedings in a case related to the “illegal” acquisition of land in Lahore city’s Raiwind area.
Television footage showed men in plain clothes throwing stones at law enforcers, who were seen beating PMLN workers with batons, and launching water cannons and tear gas. A video posted on twitter by a government spokesperson and carried by news channels showed cars, purportedly a part of Nawaz’s caravan, laden with bags full of stones.
In a video posted on Twitter, Nawaz said police threw stones at her car, cracking the windshield.
“I strongly condemn police shelling, use of tear gas and lathi charge [beating] on peaceful party workers who came to show solidarity with me,” she tweeted.
NAB postponed the day’s proceedings due to the clashes and accused Nawaz’s party of deliberately sabotaging the hearing. The watchdog said Maryam had been summoned in a “personal capacity” to record her statement but “she displayed hooliganism in an organized manner through PML-N workers by pelting stones and creating disorder.”
The government of Punjab province said PMLN workers started the clash and vowed to take action against those involved. Speaking to a local TV channel, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat said PML-N party workers threw stones at police first to put pressure on the anti-graft watchdog.
Nawaz said the purpose of summoning her to the NAB office was to “hurt me.”
“For the first time I saw stoning by police,” she said in an address to the crowd. “If you do not have the courage, you should have thought it through before calling me here. After calling me, you turn to shelling and pelting stones on innocent PML-N workers. If I did not have a bulletproof car, think of how much damage would have been caused.”
The PMLN has said at least 50 party workers have been arrested after the clashes.
Pakistani opposition party supporters arrested after clashes with police at accountability office
https://arab.news/9ur2v
Pakistani opposition party supporters arrested after clashes with police at accountability office
- Nawaz says police pelted her car with stones, party supporters injured
- Punjab government says PMLN supporters started the clashes, resolves to take action
Pakistan engages Saudi Arabia, China in bid to ease surging Middle East tensions
- Pakistan’s foreign minister stresses need for de-escalation in conversations with Chinese, Saudi counterparts
- Tensions in the Middle East continue to remain high as conflict between US, Israel and Iran intensifies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and China on Tuesday, stressing the importance of diplomatic engagement to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as the Iran war intensifies.
Pakistan has constantly engaged regional countries in efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Middle East, after the US and Isreal launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran launched fresh attacks on Gulf countries on Tuesday morning, where it has targeted US military bases in recent weeks. In addition to firing missiles and drones at Israel and American bases in the region, Iran has also been targeting energy infrastructure which, combined with its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, has sent oil prices soaring worldwide.
Dar spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss developments in the Middle East and ongoing deliberations at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
“DPM/FM shared Pakistan’s perspective, underscoring the importance of continued coordination and diplomatic engagement to support de-escalation and promote peace and stability across the region and beyond,” the statement said.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, spoke to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi over the telephone separately. The two discussed the evolving regional situation and broader global developments.
Dar underscored the need to ease tensions in the Middle East and the wider region during the conversation, the foreign office said.
Yi appreciated Pakistan’s constructive efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and stability in the region, it added.
“The two leaders stressed the importance of de-escalation and emphasized the need to pursue dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” the foreign office’s statement said.
The conflict in the Middle East has hit Pakistan hard as well, forcing Islamabad to hike petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per liter last Friday.
Pakistan’s government has also announced a set of austerity measures, which include closing schools and cutting down on government expenditures, as it evaluates petrol stocks and looks for alternative supply routes.
