Ousted premier Nawaz Sharif's grandsons Junaid Safdar and Zakaria Sharif were taken into custody by London police on Thursday after they reportedly got enraged and beat a man outside Avenfield House, DawnNewsTV reported.
According to initial reports, protesters had gathered outside the Avenfield residence where a man is believed to have hurled abuses towards Maryam Nawaz's son Junaid and his cousin Zakaria, prompting them to lose their cool and proceed to grab the man by the collar and punch him.
The protesters notified the police officials present in the vicinity who took Junaid and Zakaria into custody and shifted them to a nearby police station.
"The protesters gathered outside Avenfield House spat at me and tried to attack me," said Junaid Safdar while police was taking him away.
Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have left for Heathrow Airport from where they will be flying to Abu Dhabi.
In Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau officials arrested Junaid Safdar's father, retired Captain Mohammad Safdar and sent him to jail earlier this week. Safdar has been sentenced by the accountability court to one year in prison on charges of abatement in the Avenfield reference.
Earlier this week, a group of youngsters had tried to break into the Avenfield House and hurled abuses at Nawaz Sharif. One protester threw a shopping cart at a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s UK chapter while another was seen hurling eggs at the door.
Avenfield House has witnessed frequent scuffles in recent days. On July 6, a heated verbal argument ensued between two groups when one was distributing sweets outside the Avenfield House after the accountability court judge convicted Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and her husband retired captain Safdar in the corruption reference.
The move angered members of the PML-N’s UK chapter who then broke into a brawl with two men distributing the sweets.
Ever since the decision has been announced, dozens of people some of them holding the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) flags can be seen protesting and chanting slogans outside the building.
Moreover, Nawaz Sharif's mother has issued a video message in support of his son and granddaughter ahead of their expected return.
“Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar have been wrongly convicted and I will not let them go to jail,” she said, adding that if they are arrested then she will go to jail along with them.
