SAHIWAL: In a fiery speech Monday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz demanded redressal of “injustice” against the party’s supremo, Nawaz Sharif, ahead of the next elections.
Addressing a workers’ convention in Sahiwal, Maryam, who also holds the position of PML-N’s Chief Organiser, said: “Elections will be held after the conviction of innocent Nawaz Sharif is overturned.” Nawaz — who is residing in London since 2019 — stepped down as the prime minister on July 28, 2017, after being dis-qualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court in a landmark decision on the case.
The five-member SC bench had unanimously disqualified Nawaz for failing to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nominations papers for the 2013 General Election, stating that this meant he was not “honest” and “truthful”, as per the Constitution.
Speaking to the PML-N workers, Maryam said: “Justice first, then elections will be held.” She maintained that polls would be conducted in the country when the vote is given respect.
The PML-N leader said that her party was not afraid of elections, adding that they were preparing for the upcoming polls.
“The elections will be held after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will be measured on the same standards of justice set for Nawaz Sharif,” she added.
The PML-N leader asserted that the polls would be held when the “watch thief” is brought to justice. Maryam accused Bushra Bibi, former first lady, of receiving a five-carat diamond for approval of each file during the past PTI-led gov-ernment.
On June 6, 2022, an alleged audio recording of an alleged conversation, purportedly between property tycoon Malik Riaz and his daughter Amber Riaz was revealed by PML-N’s leader Ataullah Tarar.
In the audio, the two could be heard discussing how the former first lady refused to accept a three-carat diamond ring from them. Amber said that she had a meeting with “her” (Farah Gogi), therefore, a five-carat diamond ring should be arranged for Bushra Bibi before that, adding that the ring would cost Rs10 million. Riaz, however, had rejected the au-thenticity of the audio. –Agencies
