Maryam Nawaz urges judiciary to take notice of Bashir Memon's claims

ISLAMABAD: PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan, urging the judiciary to take notice of former DG FIA Bashir Memon's statements about the premier. 

Memon had said on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath that PM Imran Khan had pressurised him to book Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Opposition leaders in different cases.

"Never before in Pakistan's history has a sitting prime minister, regardless of whether he is fake or an imposed one, been involved in such serious crimes," she said, referring to former DG FIA Bashir Memon's allegations.

"I am sure now people know what Sicilian Mafias are," she said, referring to a taunt often used by the government for the PML-N leadership.

She quoted Memon's remarks in which he alleged the prime minister had asked him to file cases against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. "You told them to first arrest [Opposition leaders] and later check what charges can be filed against them," she said, referring to the premier.

Maryam accused the prime minister of being involved in "political engineering", adding that PM Imran Khan was using the Prime Minister's Office to threaten and pressurise heads of institutions to file fake cases against the Opposition.

"The result [from the alleged witch hunt] is that Pakistan has been put to shame in front of the entire world," she said. "You have turned into an epic failure on every front," added the PML-N leader.

She said the situation of Pakistan was so dismal that countries were banning flights to and from the country. She said the country was suffering to the extent that most of its cities had turned into garbage dumps but the prime minister was least concerned with these issues.

"What is your performance, what do you do first thing in the morning when you wake up? You tell people [heads of institutions] to make fake cases against this person or that or throw people into jails," she said.

Maryam praised Justice Qazi Faez Isa, saying that he was a man who upheld the principles of truth and justice. She said it was disgraceful that the government wanted to file fake cases against a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

"The PML-N will not let go of this [episode] easily," she said. "This is a huge and very serious case. A conspiracy [that took place] over the past five years is hidden behind this case," she said.

She said a conspiracy is being hatched over the PML-N, adding that it began from the 2014 dharna staged by the PTI and has been continuing on since then.

In response to a question, Maryam said she would continue to "fight Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Shaukat Siddiqui's battles" and that she had been doing so from the time when the media was not even allowed to air content over the matter.

Maryam said the government was out to get Justice Isa owing to the verdict he gave in the Faizabad dharna case. She praised Justice Shaukat Siddiqui as well, wondering why the government was afraid of judges that were willing to uphold the truth.

"If these judges hadn’t stood up, if they hadn’t fought and show courage [against the government], then no one would have remembered them today," she said.

The PML-N leader said the government was being exposed while it is in power. She warned the prime minister, urging him to think about what will happen to him when he leaves office.