Neither party split nor witnesses found, hence notices: Maryam

GUJRANWALA: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz on Friday said all the efforts made by the conspirators against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif have failed, as there is neither any split in the party nor witnesses were found in the NAB references, and, as a result, the courts have started issuing contempt notices.

“Has any court summoned [Pervez] Musharraf? Has any court the courage to announce sentence for Imran Khan who is also involved in abusing the courts,” she said with reference to the Supreme Court's verdict to award punishment to Nehal Hashmi and issuance of notices to other party leaders – Talal Chaudhry and Daniyal Aziz.

The prisons would to be filled to capacity, but there is no end to Nawaz’s loyalists, she remarked, asking how many people would be tried for contempt of court for supporting the PML-N chief. Maryam expressed her surprise that there is a punishment for contempt of court, but not for insulting and abusing the legislature and the elected prime minister. Would those insulting the parliament and the prime minister be ever punished, she asked. “One-sided decisions cannot stop us from serving the country,” Maryam said and added Nawaz has a firm belief that two, three or five persons cannot impose their decision on 200 million people. “Previously, we had raised the flag of restoration of judiciary and it is now time for us to raise the flag for restoration of justice,” the PML-N leader reaffirmed during her address to a convention of PML-N social media workers.

Maryam told the charged party workers that their ballot was insulted as the leader they had elected has been thrown out of office. The apex court declared a person godfather after he secured millions of votes and people’s mandate, she noted. She said no one could minus a person who has been “plus-ed” by the people and added that Nawaz Sharif is the only politician who could stand for civilian supremacy and the rule of law in the country. “No one can minus the person that you do plus. The conspirators should know that the people of Pakistan are the source of the prime minister’s strength,” said Maryam.

Nawaz – who had made Pakistan an atomic power, laid a network of highways and started the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – could not be disqualified, she said. The PML-N president is trying to put the country on the right path, while there are certain quarters who have issues with it. "You have to promise me that we will never allow the [public] mandate to be disgraced again," she said.

She said the opponents had thought that the general elections would not be held, but were getting nervous as the date for the Senate polls neared. She said no one could match the key role played by social media in taking Nawaz’s message to every home. Earlier, Maryam was warmly welcomed by a charged crowd of PML-N workers, mostly youth, when she reached Gujranwala on her maiden visit to the city.