From Abid Usman
Lahore: PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Monday that the member parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were all committed and that she trusted the leadership of PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Speaking to the media outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), Maryam said that the PDM alliance was still going strong. “The parties in the PDM are very committed to the cause.”
The PDM’s cause, according to Maryam, was a big one and included the right of rule of Pakistan’s nation, bringing real change in Pakistan, bringing relief to the people of Pakistan and correcting Pakistan’s course.
“My clear stance has come out, I won’t repeat it but the decision to send the [show-cause] notice was of the PDM and not any one party,” said Maryam, when questioned about reports of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tearing up the PDM’s show-cause notice in a meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee a day earlier.
She said that she had left the reaction and the decision to be taken in the wake of this development to Rehman’s leadership. “We have full trust in his leadership […] and he himself will take up the matter.”
Maryam also addressed the issue of estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, who is being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency for fraud and money laundering, and said that while she wouldn’t comment on any internal matters, Tareen had not been targeted as part of the sugar mafia when his resources and assets were being used.
“Now, suddenly you remember that he is [part of the] sugar mafia and make cases against him so I just want to say to all supporters of theirs: learn from this and take heed.”
Maryam claimed that the PTI’s MNAs were breaking away, talking against the government on the media and finding new avenues for themselves while the PML-N stood at greater strength than before with the people’s power.
“The day their government does not remain, write it down, they will not be able to set out and do campaigning, winning is a very far gone matter.”
Maryam claimed that during her visits to the Daska and Wazirabad, where by-elections were held, recently she had seen the “people’s sentiment, anger and hate against this government. I’d seen it that very day and knew that the PML-N would win [the by-elections]”.
“In my opinion, whenever elections are held, this government will be dealt such a defeat that the world will see and people will see this as a warning that never again do you commit vote theft, allow vote theft or reach the seat of power through polishing boots, betrayal and rigging.
