‘Facilitators' still want to save Imran Khan: Maryam Nawaz

In a fiery speech Friday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, without naming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, claimed that the “facilitators” still wanted to save a person who had “already drowned”.

Addressing a charged crowd during her party’s convention in Gujranwala, Maryam said: “I want to ask the facilitators why they want to save a person because of whom the country’s fate has sunk. That person drowned himself, but why are you people bent on [losing] your jobs?”

"Imran Khan is done and dusted. He has reached his end,” the PML-N scion said.

Taking a jibe at the PTI’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek (court arrest movement)’, the PML-N leader said: “The Jail Bharo movement never took off. How did they suspend it? When the leader is sitting in ‘Zamanat Park’, why would workers want to fill the jails?”

Maryam, when referring to the case filed against her for “insulting state institutions” in her speech, said that they — without naming anyone — have a problem with what she said but aren’t concerned about the contents of audio leaks of PTI members and allies — including former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi — that have surfaced in the last several months.

She named Elahi, PTI Punjab leader Yasmin Rashid, and Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry and asked if it was her speaking in their audios.

“Now don’t say that the truck you parked outside the court was driven by Maryam Nawaz,” the PML-N leader said while referring to the violent protests by PTI workers at the Islamabad judicial complex as their party’s chief appeared in the capital’s different courts to secure bail in cases registered against him.

After the PTI workers vandalised outside the judicial complex earlier this week, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police registered a terrorism case for alleged vandalism, riot, and sabotage.

An additional sessions court in Sukkur sent a notice to Maryam on Wednesday, summoning her on March 10 over allegations of insulting "state institutions".

The court has directed respondents, including Maryam, to submit a detailed report and asked them to appear on the aforementioned date at 8:30am.

Slamming Khan for not acknowledging his alleged daughter Tyrian Jade White, Maryam said: “The person who cannot acknowledge his own daughter, how would he provide justice to Pakistan.”

She added that when Khan is summoned by the courts, he shows them his plaster cast. “He would mock [PML-N supremo] Nawaz Sharif and his wife [Kulsoon Nawaz]. Now when summoned by the court, he shows his leg with a plaster cast,” she said.

She also questioned the judiciary for expediting cases against Nawaz and being lenient towards the deposed prime minister — whose government was ousted in April last year following a vote of no-confidence.

“Is anyone going to give a verdict against this criminal, or has that been left on the day of judgement to decide?” she asked.