Daily Times

The PML (N) voters feel that the treatment being meted out to the Sharif family and the PML (N) is tantamount to pre-poll rigging. The PML (N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb addressing a press conference at the PML (N) Secretariat in Lahore yesterday said that a conspiracy was on to target the party and the Sharif family. She said that all the state institutions should function within the ambit of law and the constitution. Marriyum said that the ML (N) had no qualms about accountability but the legal trial in the name of accountability should be stopped. She said that the PML (N) voters had become more active and galvanized. The spokesperson said that the leader of the PML (N) and the workers of the party had been through even tougher times than that when they instead of bowing before a dictator preferred to fight for democracy.

She said that NAB remained silent during the last five years and now when only 25 days were left in the elections it had started taking revenge. The spokesperson said that such negative ploys weakened democracy and had cast doubts about transparency of the polls. She said that NAB seemed to be transforming into (N) Accountability Bureau. Referring to Imran Khan she said that corruption cases against that darling including billion tree tsunami, Khyber Bank, and dozens of others had been locked down.

She said that Qamar ul Islama was given clean chit by NAB on 11 June but he had been arrested after ten days without any summons which was a very worrying development. Marriyum said that Qamar ul Islam was the popular leader of his constituency adding that the PML (N) was not afraid of such machinations. She claimed that the PML (N) was gaining popularity with every passing day and its candidates would win the elections even from behind bars.

Responding to a question she said that the return of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz depended on recovery of Kalsum Nawaz. She regretted that some elements indulged in negative politics by ridiculing her sickness because they had nothing positive to offer. She said that PML (N) would give answers to all the allegations in the court of the people on 25th of July. She reiterated that that people would vote for those who served them and not the ones who indulged in politics of hurling allegations at others. She said that her party demanded free and fair elections from the ECP.

Marriyum claimed that due to disqualification of Nawaz Sharif on the basis of ‘Iqama’ , hundred appearances by him and Maryam Nawaz in the NAB court, filing of six references against them, summoning them in case after case without any proof and subjecting them to political vendetta had led to an exponential increase in the popularity of the party. The spokesperson said that the opponents feared that popularity and therefore were employing different ploys against it which could have dangerous consequences.

She said that Pakistan came into being with the power of vote. The spokesperson said that the vote and constitution were real strength of the country. She said that it was her appeal to all the institutions to function within the limits set by the constitution for the supremacy of law, constitution and good of the nation.

Marrirum said that the ensuing elections had a great significance for the country therefore all the state institutions and political parties shall have to join hands to make sure that they were transparent and impartial. She said any move or action that could sabotage the elections would be disastrous for Pakistan. She said that NAB should stay cool as they as well as NAB were there and what it was doing could be accomplished after the elections. She said that it was regrettable to note that all the actions by NAB were aimed at pushing the PML (N) to the wall. Marriyum said that targeting the PML (N) like that by NAB was precipitating the impression about pre-poll rigging. The spokesperson said that if the NAB did not stop its indiscretions it would cause irreparable damage to transparency and impartiality of elections adding subjecting the PML (N) to political vendetta like that could have serious repercussions. She reiterated that targeting the Sharif family and the party would also harm democracy and the country.

The spokesperson said that the PML (N) was tolerating all that for the continuation and strengthening of democracy but it should not be construed as its weakness. She said that NAB was only targeting PML (N) and Punjab government. She asked as to why only the Sharif family and the members of PML (N) were being called by the NAB? Marriyum said it was so because NAB was trying to create specific atmosphere for the benefit of the opponents of the PML N). The spokesperson said that the actions by NAB against PML (N) were affecting its impartiality and the common man was also raising questions about that.

Published in Daily Times, June 28^th 2018.