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ISLAMABAD, April 20: The People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) threatened in the National Assembly here on Wednesday its legislators would court arrest on Thursday if ‘thousands’ of detained party workers were not released, despite an apparent peace gesture from the government.
Two party leaders said the PPP members of parliament and the Punjab Assembly would offer themselves for arrest if the government failed to release party activists detained to thwart a reception for Asif Ali Zardari on his arrival in Lahore from Dubai on Saturday.
In what seemed to be a move to mollify the PPP’s anger, the treasury members did not oppose five privilege motions moved by as many PPP MNAs against their detention or maltreatment in Lahore on Saturday.
“Thousands of our workers have been detained and hundreds of them booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act registered,” said PPP Secretary-General Raja Pervez Ashraf.
He demanded an immediate release of the party workers and warned: “Otherwise all PPP MNAs, Senators and MPAs from the Punjab province would offer themselves for arrest.”
LAHORE MARCH: Later, speaking on a point of order, PPP MNA Aitzaz Ahsan said if the arrested workers were not released by Thursday, party legislators would march from the High Court building in Lahore to the Governor House in compliance with a decision made by the Punjab chapter of the party.
Before Law Minister Wasi Zafar could respond to Mr Ahsan’s demand for an assurance about release of the arrested workers, the house was adjourned until Thursday.
Earlier, Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain admitted privilege motions moved by five PPP members – Mr Ashraf, Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi, Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and Zulfiqar Ali Gondal.
