PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Sunday said whoever her father and fellow party leader Nawaz Sharif meets in London “is in the interest of Pakistan”.
Maryam’s remarks were in reaction to Prime Minister Imran’s comments made at Parade Ground in Islamabad earlier. The prime minister, without naming Sharif, had said: “The nation wants to know who the man sitting in London is meeting with and whose directions the characters based in Pakistan are following?” Shortly after his marathon speech where he alleged that a ‘foreign-funded conspiracy’ was out to topple his govt and claimed to have evidence in writing, Maryam, addressing a rally of her own in Gujranwala, defended the PML-N supremo. She said that Nawaz “is the son of Pakistan” and his meetings in London “are in the interest of Pakistan and its 220 million people”. Maryam criticised PM Imran for claiming he had “proof” of the conspiracy against his government, saying he should have revealed the “secrets” he decided to withhold during his speech.
“He knows the corruption cases against his government will come to light the moment he opens his tongue,” Maryam said as she claimed that a Lahore-based woman Farah was allegedly involved in taking bribes [on behalf of the government] for transfers and postings. “We know each and everything”. “Imran keeps telling institutions that Nawaz will not spare them. You must keep in mind that these institutions, this country, and the people belong to Nawaz Sharif,” she said while referring to the prime minister.
The PML-N leader alleged that the PM Imran-led government spent Rs12 billion in finding proof of corruption against Nawaz, adding that their attempts went in vain. “We will hold you accountable for wasting this public money on your personal vendetta,” she vowed. She alleged that PM Imran could not even gather an audience of 10,000 at his public meeting in Islamabad against his claims to assemble one million people.
Referring to the dissident PTI leaders who have been giving a strong indication of their defection, Maryam said Nawaz was “the only bowler in the world who took 24 wickets of Imran on a single ball from London”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday addressed a rally after reaching the federal capital and said that he is “well aware of Prime minister Imran Khan’s agenda.” “We are well aware that your agenda is to taint Islam as you want to recognize Israel,” the JUI-F chief alleged. He said that Imran Khan’s “agenda” was to “close all madrassas” but said that instead, “thousands of them opened up across the country.”
Taking a jibe at the premier’s earlier statement – when he had said that he’d “surprise” the Opposition during his speech – Fazl said that the only surprise today was the news of Shahzain Bugti parting ways with the PTI. Fazl said that PM Imran Khan is “within the grip of the Opposition now.”
