Imran’s new support is ‘judicial establishment’, says Maryam

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz said on Sunday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s politics revolved only around appointments to important posts and help from facilitators.

Addressing the office-bearers of the PMLN lawyers wing along with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah here, she took an exception to assertions that the PMLN only wanted to delay the elections till October as a new chief justice would be in place by then. “The PML-N is not afraid of elections but merely wants the scales of justice to be balanced before they are conducted. We are not scared of elections. We are not selected, we are elected. Those who are selected should be worried,” she said.

Maryam said, “PTI’s whole politics revolves around which appointment is happening and when. Yesterday, it was revealed by Sheikh Rashid due to a slip of tongue during a rally […]. That clearly showed that PTI’s entire politics revolves around appointments [to key posts],” Maryam alleged.

She said that previously the PTI had the support of some from the military establishment, who had left them for quite some time. “Now, they have found the judicial establishment [to support them],” she claimed.

The PMLN leader said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted from office for not taking salaries from his son. In July 2017, Nawaz Sharif stepped down as the prime minister after being disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court in a decision on the Panama Papers case. “For the first time, I came to know that decisions are made as per the wishes of wives and children,” she taunted the judiciary adding that former chief of the army staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa revealed that the “court made decisions as per the whims of wives.”

Their remnants still exist in the judiciary and Khan relies on them, Maryam said, adding, “Now he [Khan] has found [the shelter of] judicial establishment.”

Referring to another verdict, Maryam said the current crisis afflicting the country was caused by the Supreme Court verdict “rewriting the Constitution”. She was referring to a court interpretation of Article 63-A, which went way beyond the letter of the law, which stipulated disqualification of an assembly member for floor-crossing and not nullifying the vote cast in defiance of the party orders.

Referring to PTI’s demand for immediate general election in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and ongoing crises, she asked whether PTI Chairman Imran Khan would accept the results if her party sweeps the upcoming general election in Punjab. “Who will give a guarantee that Imran Khan will accept results if PMLN wins elections in Punjab?”

She added that the PTI chief may accuse Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of rigging after the elections. If the PTI wins in KP, what was the guarantee he would not dissolve the assembly again, she asked.

The PMLN leader said Imran Khan got bail in 12 cases in 5 minutes and on the other hand injustice was done against her as well as her father. She claimed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision in the prohibited funding case mentioned irrefutable evidence, yet no court touched him.

“On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif and I, and even Rana Sanaullah went to court without any armed mobs, surrendered before the law and suffered imprisonment. Why is Imran getting favourable treatment? Who is still protecting him?” she questioned.

“Imran Khan abrogated the Constitution and the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled against him, but he got off scot-free and the state looked on. However, such an act calls for trial under Article 6,” she complained.

She alleged Imran Khan had dissolved the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to create anarchy and chaos in the country. She termed Khan a “mentally sick person” and said that the then Punjab CM Parvez Elahi did not want to dissolve the provincial assembly.

Maryam Nawaz claimed she had such information about certain people in a High Court that if it comes out, it would create chaos.

Maryam called the note to the CJP for a suo motu notice on the delay in provincial elections, as well as the consequent verdict, controversial. “If judges are corrupt, sold out, facilitating someone, they should be proceeded against. Audios have been leaked to prove it. There cannot be selective application of the Constitution,” the PMLN leader added.

Maryam said her party would contest the election and win Insha-Allah. She said Imran Khan was in trouble due to his daughter Tyrian’s case in the court. She said Imran Khan did not buy gifts from Toshakhana but stole them.

She said in Zaman Park, policemen received head injuries and petrol bombs were thrown at them by the PTI workers. She said the entire nation was standing with the policemen who got injured in the line of duty.

Addressing the gathering, she sought the lawyers’ support for her party, herself, and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif. “In this crisis situation, Pakistan needs you,” she said.