PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah on Monday demanded that Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, who is currently in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody, should be brought to parliament so he can present his case before the people of the country.

Sharif has been arrested on the charge that he tried to influence the transfer of a contract for the Ashiana Housing Scheme from one contractor to another.

“The truth is that the said contract was cancelled on the recommendation of the then provincial finance secretary,” Sanaullah claimed.

“The actual reason behind Shahbaz’s arrest was to carry out 'political victimisation’ to affect the outcome of the October 14 by-polls,” claimed Sanaullah.

Talking to media following the PML-N’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting in Lahore, Sanaullah announced the PML-N will submit requisitions for sessions of the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday (tomorrow).

“If our demand is not met, then from Wednesday we will stage protests outside the respective assemblies,” he said.

The PML-N leader accused the PTI government of implementing "anti-people policies" since coming into power.

He warned the incumbent government that if it doesn’t take their protest seriously, the PML-N will extend its agitation.

The decision to hold the CEC meeting had been taken by the party leadership a day after an accountability court in Lahore remanded PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif to 10-day custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for an investigation into the Rs14 billion Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing project 'scam'.

Nawaz Sharif chaired the formal party meeting after a gap of over four months — including the two months he spent in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Mohammad Safdar following their conviction in the Avenfield properties reference.

According to PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, the meeting was convened to discuss the situation after the arrest of Shahbaz Sharif by NAB and devise the party’s future strategy.

Aurangzeb said the party believed that Shahbaz Sharif had been arrested as part of the ongoing policy of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to victimise its political opponents.

“Shahbaz Sharif’s arrest just before by-elections is unacceptable,” she said. “Such actions will no more be tolerated.”