Enforcing opinion through pen or gun worst dictatorship: Maryam

SARGODHA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz on Saturday said although the Supreme Court had 17 judges, all the cases related to Nawaz Sharif were being heard by only five of them, adding that imposing one’s opinion through a pen or a gun was the worst kind of dictatorship.

"Hold [us] accountable, but don't exploit!" she said and added, "Investigate, but don't be vengeful. Be a judge, not the complainant. Be a judge, not ruler!" "This is a dictatorship. First, [they] disqualified Nawaz for not taking salary from his son, then [they] stripped him of party presidency," the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif told a massive crowd at a social media convention of the PML-N in Sargodha.

Maryam asked the people to not follow or believe those who hatch conspiracies against democracy or the government. "Nawaz Sharif is fighting your war. He is fighting for the sanctity of your vote."

She added that the people have to fall behind Nawaz and participate in his struggle as that "is the people's struggle".

She said the Supreme Court decision that led to Nawaz’s removal as the party's head was a "joke" with the public. "This joke that has been played on the party symbol, on the PML-N, this joke has not been played on Nawaz Sharif, this joke has been played on you!" she said.

Maryam said, "The biggest party of Pakistan that has millions of voters has been eliminated from Senate elections."

"Tell these geniuses that no one can drive Nawaz Sharif's love from people's hearts. He is not Nawaz Sharif because of his party presidency or because of his premiership. He became Nawaz Sharif with God's blessing and all your love."

She said a new slogan "mein bhi Nawaz hoon" [I am Nawaz too] was born the day her father was stripped of PML-N presidency. "If they want to disqualify Nawaz Sharif, they'll have to disqualify his voters as well," she said. "Would people come out in the streets, all the way from Khyber to Karachi, in support of a person who has stolen from the public?" she asked the charged gathering.

She remarked that the way the people had fought for Nawaz by coming out to show their support was a testament to the fact that he was innocent.

"For the past two years they have been crying corruption, but tell me, were they able to prove even Rs 5 worth of corruption?" she asked.

Maryam commented that the Sharif family’s assets were constantly put under scrutiny but amidst cheers from the crowd she declared, "Don't show us our assets. Show us proof of corruption!"

Reminding the people that her father had been prime minister for two terms before his third ouster in 2017 and that under his leadership, the country saw the launch of the greatest number of developmental projects including motorways, power plants, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Metro bus, and the Orange Line train project, she questioned why there had been "not a single incident of corruption" that surfaced in all this time.

Maryam said because no corruption had been proven against her family since the Panama Papers case emerged, Nawaz was removed from office for "giving gifts to his daughter" and "not taking salary from his son". "Wow! What justice!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "Well done judges, what a show of justice!"

Responding to the criticism against Nawaz’s mass-contact campaign, she asked, "Do you remember who these judges came to when Musharraf sent 60 of them home with the stroke of a pen?"

"It is alright for them [judges] to address the people's court for their own restoration, but it is wrong for Nawaz Sharif to come out in public for restoring the integrity of the public vote," she said.

Maryam said neither the PML-N's strength had not decreased nor the respect for Nawaz after the latest Supreme Court verdict. "Even the darling [Imran Khan] who approached the Supreme Court to file a petition against Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case, has been forced to question the latest decision taken by them," she said.

Maryam was confident that her party would win the 2018 elections as "the 'revenge' has only made the lions stronger and more united."

Appreciating the energy and enthusiasm shown at the social media convention, she invited all party workers to create accounts on all social media platforms and support the PML-N.

Earlier, Maryam was given a grand welcome Sargodha's Company Bagh where she was showered with rose petals. Large banners bearing photos of Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam along with those of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal were seen displayed prominently all around.

She was also presented with a special crown designed for her by a supporter, Malik Naveed Aslam. The gold, jewel-encrusted crown weighed 21 tolas. Maryam told the rally she would donate the crown to a school that teaches orphans in Sargodha.

Maryam was presented with a diamond-studded gold crown weighing 20 tolas by Sargodha Mayor Malik Aslam Naveed, as a gift from the people of Sargodha. She later said she would donate the crown to a local orphanage.