Angry Nawaz calls for censuring legislator

An angry Nawaz Sharif on Saturday referred the matter of Anjum Aqeel Khan, a PML-N member of National Assembly, to a disciplinary committee of his party to propose action against the legislator for putting his party in an extremely embarrassing position not only by escaping from police custody but also by ignoring his directives to surrender before the police, a spokesman for the party told Dawn.

The four-member committee, headed by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, went into session at about the same time when the MNA from Islamabad “surrendered” himself at a police station in the capital after daylong negotiations between the party’s senior members and police officials.

The committee would send its recommendations directly to Mr Sharif. Other members of the committee are MNAs Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Hanif Abbasi and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

Party sources said Mr Sharif was very upset over the incident that he believed had damaged his party’s image as the electronic media kept on running reports regarding the raids on possible hideouts of the MNA and arrest of the party workers involved in the attack on the Shalimar police station from where he had managed to escape on Friday night with the help of armed supporters.

“Yes, it was a very tough day for us. We were not in a position to face the media and defend the act of Anjum Aqeel Khan,” admitted the party spokesman. He said there was a feeling in the party that Mr Khan had committed a “blunder” because in addition to facing fraud charges originally brought against him, he now would also have to face charges under the Terrorism Act for the attack on police.