Maryam against in-house change in Punjab

By News Desk

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has voiced her opposition to an “in-house change” in Punjab, stressing her party would not give the government a chance to become “martyrs” or a path to escape.

“They should bear the burden of their own incompetence,” Maryam said, referring to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). In a media talk outside the residence of the PML-N lawmakers Afzal and Saiful Malook Khokhar, whose residence was damaged over the weekend by authorities in an operation against the alleged land mafia.

Maryam spoke about a variety of topics, from insisting the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties are united to calling on Broadsheet investigation committee head Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat Saeed to recuse himself from the position.

The PML-N leader accused the former Supreme Court judge of being a “part of the conspiracy” against the Nawaz Sharif administration. She urged the retired judge to recuse himself from the probe, failing which “will have to bring some other facts in front of masses, which we had not brought at that time”.

She claimed Prime Minister Imran Khan “personally monitored” the demolition of properties belonging to the Khokhars. “I have come to know that this person whose name is Imran Khan personally sat down and was monitoring the operation,” she said, and further claimed the measure followed “attempts to pressurise” the Khokhar brothers and holders of political office in the PML-N.

“When they refused to abandon the party leadership and Nawaz Sharif, this retaliatory action was carried out against them,” she alleged.

On the PDM, she said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government would not succeed in dividing the opposition parties. She acknowledged that every political party in PDM has its own mandate and agenda, but insisted it is united against the PTI government.

Responding to a question, the PML-N leader said discussions would be held during PDM session on a no-confidence motion against the Premier, which was proposed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. She also said if Bilawal has the numbers to successfully pull it off, he should share them. “Even if there is a disagreement on any matter within the PDM, it is resolved in an amicable manner,” she said.