Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb while commenting on the SC verdict in her interaction with private TV channels on Wednesday said that it had reinforced the narrative of Nawaz Sharif and the PML -N that only “one person, one family and one party was being targeted”, adding that the decision had been given to defend the weak verdict in the Panama Papers case, which even the opponents of the government had accepted of late.

She said that the violators of the constitution could head a party but not the others. She added how these decisions would disqualify voters and lovers of Nawaz Sharif.

She said that verdict had not jolted the PML-N as it was very much expected. The minister said that PML-N had accepted the verdict of the court. Marriyum said that the former prime minister was disqualified on the basis of merely an iqama (work permit).

The minister said that Nawaz Sharif was and would remain the leader of PML-N and he would continue to lead the party. She said that it hardly mattered who was the president of the party, the decisions invariably would be made by Nawaz Sharif because he was the mentor and leader of the party. She said that Nawaz Sharif had morphed into an ideology.

Marriyum said the decision to award Senate would be made by Nawaz Sharif in consultation with party leaders. She said that the timely Senate elections were imperative as the country could not afford any delay in it.

Responding to a question, Marriyum observed that the party had been denied the right of appeal and review against the verdict. She said it was only PML-N, which was fighting on all fronts for the people of Pakistan.

Published in Daily Times, February 22^nd 2018.